Bittersweet
by iamhermionemalfoy
Summary: Narcissa Malfoy does not want her only son to become a Death Eater so she resorts to a desperate choice. She would have to leave Draco's fate in the hands of the enemy. A mudblood.
1. Narcissa's Woes

Bittersweet

by cenagurl

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, 'cause if I do, I'd tell everyone who the Half Blood Prince is and I would publish book six NOW and not make everyone die waiting…

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Chapter 1: Narcissa's Woes…

"You will not interfere."

Lucius Malfoy's cold voice echoed around the spacious master bedroom of the Malfoy manor, followed by a loud smashing of glass on the hard stone wall. Narcissa Malfoy stood across his husband as straight as lance, although tears were already building at the corners of her eyes.

"Lucius, honestly, how can you even consider this? Draco's our only son, he—" her words were cut off when Lucius slapped her across the face. Narcissa didn't even flinch at the pain, as she was far used to her husband's cruelty.

"I'm not going to repeat myself again, Narcissa. You will not interfere. Draco is bound to serve the Dark Lord just as faithfully as I have. He will uplift the Malfoy name again in Lord Voldemort's eyes to cover up the shame I had suffered when I was sent to Azkaban and was unable to serve him for some time," Lucius said calmly, his gray eyes piercing his wife's teary blue ones.

Narcissa didn't answer. A muscle twitched in Lucius' jaw, and his fists were curling into tight balls. "Promise me you won't interfere," Lucius said, his hand harshly cupping Narcissa's chin so she could look at him in the eye.

It took a minute before she answered. "Yes, Lucius." As she said that, her fingers were crossed behind her back, and from that moment, she knew she was going to have to resort to drastic measures.

She would bargain with the devil if it means to save her only son.

xxxxxx

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Draco asked his mother as he entered the study room, curiosity visible in his face. Narcissa was standing by the French windows, staring at the gloomy atmosphere outside. When she saw her son, however, she couldn't resist giving him a hug.

It just might be the last thing she'll ever do to him.

She felt her son stiffen in her embrace, but she understood why. She had never shown her outward affection for him in the past years, because as Lucius had said, "Coddling the boy would make him a weakling." And once when she tried to soothe her son when he skinned his knee at the tender age of five, Lucius had beat her up afterwards, while Draco was locked inside one of their dungeons for three days.

When she pulled away, she saw her son looking at her quizzically. "Sit down, dear," she said, ushering Draco to a chair with golden trimmings that has been a family heirloom for many years. Draco immediately did as his mother told him, although there was still the bewildered look in his gray eyes.

Narcissa went over to one of the cabinets and pulled out a decanter of brandy, along with a couple of goblets. She filled both glasses with the liquid, then deliberately covered the sight with her back so Draco wouldn't see her putting a vial-full of blue liquid in one of the drinks.

She then picked up the two goblets and handed the one with the potion to his son, who quickly took a swig of it. Narcissa watched as he took two more small gulps, then set the glass on the table and looked at her.

"What did you want to tell me, mother?" he asked. Narcissa took a deep breath as she also set down her goblet. "Draco, dear, you do know that I love you, don't you?" she asked softly. Draco slowly nodded, a pale blonde brow rising as though waiting for her to elaborate.

But it seemed that he was waiting in vain.

Narcissa felt a bitter smile tugging at her mouth when she saw her son's eyes beginning to droop. "And that I would never do anything that would not be for your own good?" she finally spoke, and again Draco nodded, followed by a huge yawn.

"Then I hope you will forgive me for what I will be doing," just as Draco's eyes slid close, Narcissa raised her wand and pointed it at her son's forehead, tears rolling down her cheeks without her notice.

"Obliviate."

xxxxxx

A/n: Yep, no Hermione yet… but can you guess when she'll enter the picture? grins evilly well, you'll just have to wait for the next chapter, won't you? ) Oh, and reviews are most welcome!

And also, a bunch of thanks to those who reviewed my first fic (which is a d/hr one-shot), Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus--angelwriter2492, Lavender Mansworth, and MIDNIGHT-PIXIE… I really appreciate your reviews!


	2. Desperate

Bittersweet

by cenagurl

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just borrowed some characters from Ms. Rowling so I can fulfill my insatiable hunger for a d/hr romance… got me? Good.

xxxxxx

Chapter 2: Desperate

It was raining, and Hermione Granger held the urge to hurl her resistant umbrella in the streets. Of all the times her umbrella wouldn't budge, it really had to be during a stormy weather.

She balanced her groceries on her arm and again attempted to tug at the umbrella, which, Hermione found relieving, finally opened. She had been walking on the sidewalk when the rain suddenly started pouring, so now she was practically soaking wet, but at least her groceries were safely tucked in her cloak.

Leaning the body of the umbrella on her left shoulder, she started walking towards the subway, her boots creating splashing sounds against the muddy sidewalk. She inwardly hoped the special bread she brought wasn't soaked, or else Ron would be spitting mad.

He had specifically requested that particular bread before Hermione left Grimmauld Place to shop for food and other supplies needed at the Order's headquarters. Hermione had let him taste it when her parents had sent to her all her favorite pastries (she had taught them all about the owl mail) at Christmastime in their seventh year. Hermione felt her heart clench at the sudden thought. Her parents…

Hermione hastily tried to blink her tears away. Her parents had been murdered just a month ago, by the Death Eaters of course. Their main target had been Hermione, who was considered a great threat to Voldemort's success, but when they wouldn't tell them where Hermione had gone for the summer, they were instantly killed.

She fervently wished they didn't suffer during the ordeal.

It was a good thing, though, that she had already graduated then. Now she worked as a Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts, and during holidays, she was also able to do secret missions for the Order.

But now she didn't have a home, a family.

Hermione was sinking further in her thoughts that she was unaware of a hooded figure watching her intently from an obscured alleyway.

Narcissa had been watching the girl for about fifteen minutes now. She quickly recognized her, as she remembered the time they were introduced to each other at the World Cup four years ago. After the introduction, when she, Draco, and Lucius had been seated in their place, her son had begun his usual rant about the saint Potter, the pauper Weasley, and the mudblood Granger.

She fully recalled her son's expression as he raved about the filthy little mudblood that beat him at every subject and dared not to acknowledge his superiority as a pureblood. No, the look didn't just contain hatred; she had the feeling that her son also held a certain hidden respect for the girl.

And during the chaos when the Dark Mark appeared, Narcissa had watched from a distance how Draco had cruelly and indirectly warned the girl of the danger. That's when she concluded that her son did not fully hate the mudblood.

He just hasn't realized it yet.

Narcissa watched as the girl started to walk by her, and she didn't waste the chance to grab her by the shoulder and haul her inside the dark alleyway. The girl screamed, but the noise was drowned by the heavy pitter-patter of the rain and the roars of the thunder.

The girl began to dig in her pockets for her wand, but Narcissa had already pointed her wand at her chest. The girl went rigid, and Narcissa leaned towards the girl and whispered in her ear, "I won't hurt you," then put her wand away from the cowering girl.

"Lumos," Narcissa said, and the tip of her wand lighted up, giving her a fair view of the girl in front of her, who looked deeply frightened. When the girl saw the face of the person who had pulled her in the alleyway, her mouth dropped open.

"You—you're—you're--"

"I'm Narcissa Malfoy, and I'm here to ask for your help."

xxxxxx

A/n: First, no Hermione, and now, no Draco! avoids stones from angry readers I'm so sorry! I promise they'll appear together soon, and when they do, I swear I'll make it a very good chapter!


	3. Bargaining With the Devil

Bittersweet

by cenagurl

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters… if I do, I wouldn't injure the feelings of all the DHr shippers out there, and instead, I would make them all very happy by making Ron fall in love with Crabbe and Pansy with Goyle so Draco and Hermione can finally live happily ever after… -sigh-

xxxxxx

Chapter 3: Bargaining with the Devil

Hermione stared at the woman in front of her in absolute horror. She blinked, wondering if she heard right; after all, the wind was practically howling and the thunder was roaring. But judging from the look on Narcissa's face, she surmised she heard right.

But why would Narcissa Black Malfoy, wife of a pureblood Death Eater, ask for her help? Was this another trickery of those cold-hearted Death Eaters?

"Please, lady, you have to help me," Narcissa's broken voice jolted Hermione from her thoughts. "You're the only person I can run to. I know you can help me, you're the only one I can trust enough to do this. Please…" the older woman ranted on, and after every sentence her voice got more hysterical that Hermione couldn't understand anymore a word she's saying.

"Why do you need my help?" she asked, as some of the shock began to wear off, which was replaced by an unpleasant curling in her stomach. She had a sinking feeling that what Narcissa was about to say will be a very bad news.

"Miss Granger, you have to help me get my son away from his father," Narcissa managed to say through her tears, her lip quivering as she waited for the girl's reaction.

She looked as though she had just been struck by lightning.

Hermione literally froze on the spot. She gaped at Narcissa, whose hands now gripped her shoulders in a very unyielding hold. "Lucius is planning to make Draco a Death Eater, and I would die before I let him. Please, lady, help me protect Draco, please don't let Lucius get him---"

Hermione finally found the strength to speak. "You don't want Draco to become a Death Eater?" she asked incredulously.

The woman before her gave a weak nod, tears still pouring from her eyes, mingling with the raindrops that splattered on her face and robes. "Please, miss, promise me you'll take care of Draco, and that you won't let his father get him,"

Hermione was silent for a long time, her mind going completely blank. She honestly didn't know what answer to give to the pleading woman before her. She looked like she was telling the truth, but she couldn't be too sure…

Then, Narcissa said something that finally assured Hermione's mind that Narcissa wasn't tricking her.

"I know I don't deserve your trust, but I want you to look past our statuses and believe that I trust you enough to leave my son's life to your hands," the blonde woman said softly, looking at Hermione straight in the eye.

"I'll help you," she finally said, and Narcissa gave a small smile through her tears. "Take care of him," she whispered, then, with a small cracking sound, she was gone.

Hermione stood there for a long time under the raging storm, her umbrella sprawled on the floor, and her grocery bags lying soaked on the cold stone floor. When she was able to think coherently again, she thought, _What have I gotten myself into? _

She had bargained with the devil.

She didn't know how long she stood there in the rain, her hair hanging in wet clumps around her face and her clothes drenched enough to wring out a gallon of water from.

Only when she started to tremble violently from the cold did she start to move. Having no intention of picking up her umbrella or her fallen things, she began to walk, but her foot got caught on something and she fell forward---- not on the hard ground, but on something much more soft---- was that a man on the ground?

She blinked several times as she tried to make out through the dark who or what the thing she landed on was. Unfortunately, the whole place was now pitch black, so she hastily dug her pockets and brought out her wand.

"Lumos," she muttered, and a faint glow was emitted from the tip of her wand. She pointed it close to the figure, and gasped at what she saw.

Leaning on the brick wall of the narrow alleyway was an unconscious Draco Malfoy, who was wearing a hooded dark-colored robe. He was also sodden with the rain, the raindrops rolling down on his face and body in rivulets.

_Is he still alive?_ She thought in panic, her free hand frantically searching for a pulse. She sighed in relief when she found one at the base of his neck, faint, but steady. After that she started to heave him up with her, but he was far too heavy, and his wet robes were making the job harder.

Inwardly cursing, Hermione thought about shedding off Draco's robes, leaving off his equally soaked sweater and pants, but thought the better of it. When the task was done she heaved him up again, and after the third try she finally succeeded. Slowly she hobbled away from the alleyway, Draco's slack weight in tow.

She paused to pick up a can littered in the streets, then pointed her wand at it and murmured, "Portus." She grabbed her companion's hand and placed it on the can along with hers--- then they were both pulled forwards by an invisible force into a swirl of blurry colors…

With a thud they landed on the ground, Draco's body now fully draped over Hermione's in a rather obscene manner. Hermione took no notice of this however, as she was already pushing his body away from her.

When she was able to straighten her composure, she staggered up and slung Draco's slack arms around her shoulders and stood up, then closed her eyes to concentrate on her thought.

_The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London. _

The headquarters appeared almost quickly, and Hermione opened the door and gingerly stepped inside, Draco still unconscious beside her.

She hobbled on inside, walking as quietly as she could as not to disturb the paintings on the wall.

When she reached the end of the hallway, she went up the stairs leading to the bedrooms, pausing every now and then to take a break; Malfoy certainly was no light-weight, although he was on the lean and muscular side.

When she reached the top of the stairs, she saw Ginny step out of their bedroom, and when she saw Hermione carrying an unconscious man, she gasped.

"Hermione, what happened?" Ginny asked, sprinting over to her with an anxious look on her face. Hermione was grateful that the hood had concealed Draco's face, or else Ginny would be screaming like a banshee about an enemy coming in their sanctuary.

"I'll explain later," Hermione said, catching her breath from all the effort. "Help me put him in my bed first," Ginny immediately complied as she swung one of Draco's arms around her shoulder.

When they had finally laid Draco's unconscious form on the bed, they were both panting with exhaustion. "What happened?" Ginny asked again, looking over at Hermione.

"Promise not to scream first, Ginny," Hermione requested firmly, and Ginny nodded. She went over to the bedside and pulled off Draco's hood, and Ginny gave a low sob of fear.

"Narcissa Malfoy brought him to me," Hermione explained in a tired voice. "Apparently, she doesn't want her son to become a Death Eater, as Lucius wants him to be,"

Ginny was still staring at the unconscious man with frightened eyes. "H—Hermione--- are you sure about this?" she asked, her voice coming out high-pitched and filled with terror.

Before Hermione could answer, the bedroom door swung open again and Harry entered, Ron lagging behind him. "Hey Hermione, I thought I heard you come in," Ron said. "Where's my bre---" he froze in his tracks when he saw the figure on the bed. Harry also stopped.

"Who's that?" Harry asked, a frown creasing his brows. Ron walked past Harry and peered at the face of the unconscious man. When he saw who it was, he took a step back, a look of horror on his face.

"What's wrong, Ron?" Harry asked. "Who is it?" the only answer he got from his red-haired friend was a quick shake of the head. Irritated, he walked over by the bed to look at the face of the stranger.

He looked into the face of his sworn enemy.

xxxxxx

A/n: Yep, Hermione and Draco are finally together in this chapter, but he's unconscious and Hermione still doesn't have the hots for him. The diagnostic test in Math obviously drained my mind. –smiles sheepishly- But I promise you'll find the next chapter lots and lots more interesting! I'm almost finished with it, and I'm sure you'll be happy with what I will do...


	4. Confused

Bittersweet

By cenagurl

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters, I'm just borrowing them for my story so don't sue me, all I can offer you is my dog and a battered old computer…

xxxxxx

Chapter 4: Confused

The silence in the room was poisoning.

Harry stared at the slumbering face of nemesis for a long time, then at Hermione, who looked so ready to burst into tears.

"What's he doing here?" he asked in a steely voice. Hermione could feel herself cowering from her friend's penetrating gaze but she forced herself to look to look at him in the eye unblinkingly, defiantly.

"I saved him from a terrible fate." She answered, thankful that her voice came out calm and reasonable. Harry stared, while Rona and Ginny gaped.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked after a few moments of silence.

"Narcissa brought him to me," Hermione started in a drained voice. "She doesn't want Malfoy to become a Death Eater, so she decided to hide him from his father,"

Ron finally gained the strength to speak. "She entrusted her only son to you?" he asked in disbelief. "What about the git? Does he want to become a Death Eater?"

Hermione glanced over at Draco's sleeping face, as if the answer was written on him. "I don't know," she whispered.

Harry's gaze was getting more and more intense. "Hermione, how could you bring him here? What if this is just another one of Voldemort's plots? And what if Malfoy really does want to become a Death Eater? What will we do when he wakes up? Tie him on the bed? Hex him?"

Hermione was at a loss for answers. She honestly couldn't believe she had just helped one of their enemies.

But she believed in something.

"I believe Narcissa's word." She finally said when she could no longer stand the silence. "And if Malfoy really does want to become a Death Eater, then we'll let him go. If he doesn't, we could use him as an ally in the Order," she said, inwardly cringing when she heard her voice com out so un-Hermione-ish--- weak and unsure.

Ron gave her an owlish stare. "Do you think that he would just let himself be bossed around like that? He's a bloody Malfoy, for Pete's sake! How could you trust a Malfoy? Have they put a spell on you? Hell, Ginny, call mum or anyone from the Order so they can check Hermione," he ordered, and Ginny quickly scampered out of the room before Hermione could stop her.

"Hermione, why did you do this?" Harry asked softly.

Hermione didn't know the answer herself. Did she really trust Narcissa? Could she really trust her? And what about Draco? What would they do with him?

A scant minute later Mrs. Weasley entered the room, followed by Lupin and Tonks. When they saw the person on the bed, they gave identical gasps of surprise.

"What in heaven's name is he doing here?" Molly Weasley asked, her eyes round. Tonks rubbed her eyes and did a double take. "Isn't that Lucius Malfoy's son?" she asked, and Remus nodded his confirmation.

"Hermione took him here," Harry answered monotonously, shooting Hermione a rather irritated look. Ron was also glaring at her.

At least they weren't strangling or flaying her.

"Ginny told me to check if you were bewitched or something," Molly started, walking towards Hermione, and she started to back away like a frightened deer.

"I---I'm not under any spell," she stammered out, coming to a halt when she felt her back press against the cool wallpapered wall. Nobody listened to her, however.

Remus went over to check her, and when he was finished, he shook his head at them. "She isn't in any sort of spell," he announced with a relieved sigh.

Mrs. Weasley was about to pull Hermione in a motherly embrace when she gave small shriek of surprise. "Hermione, you're soaking wet!" she exclaimed when she felt the sodden fabric of Hermione's robes through her fingertips.

"I---It was r—r---raining outside," she managed to say through her trembling lips. "M—Malfoy's drenched too, he n—needs some clothes," she pointed at the bed, and Mrs. Weasley nodded.

"Ron and Harry would be willing to donate some robes," she said, eyeing the boys warningly when they opened their mouths to protest. "And you, young lady, are going to change into some dry clothes yourself,"

"But she still hasn't explained why she brought him here!" Tonks said. "Hermione can answer all our questions tomorrow," Mrs. Weasley answered in a firm voice. Turning to Hermione, she said, "Get some rest tonight, Hermione. We'll talk in the morning,"

Hermione gave her a grateful nod, then went over to the cabinet to gather some dry clothes. Harry and Ron had gone out of the room to find some clothes for Malfoy, while Remus and Tonks were examining the unconscious boy on the bed.

Hermione changed her clothes in the bathroom, and while she saw to the task, she pondered about they'd do with Malfoy. What she'd do with him.

What would he do when he wakes up? Would he tear apart the headquarters? Would he murder them all in bed? What if this is one of Voldemort's tricks?

Hermione's stomach gave a funny twist at the horrific thought. She suddenly had the urge to retch, but she clamped her mouth tight as she put on her long-sleeved nightgown when bile began to rise at her throat.

Narcissa hadn't told her what to do with Malfoy if he does want to do as his father wishes. Would she have to let him go? But he would already know about the headquarters of the Order by then.

Would they have to resort to murder? But that would not make them any different from those Death Eaters. What would she do?

Hermione's head was beginning to pound furiously from all the thinking that she swayed off-balanced for a moment, but quickly regained her balance. She really had to rest tonight.

Dropping her wet clothes in the laundry basket, she made her way out of the bathroom, and saw Mrs. Weasley shedding off Draco's drenched clothes with Lupin's assistance. Ginny and Tonks were nowhere to be seen. A scant minute later, Harry and Ron entered, carrying some clothes.

They dumped their pajamas at the foot of the bed, looks of loathing etched on their faces. When Mrs. Weasley picked up the clothes Harry and Ron had gathered, she gave them disapproving looks.

"Ron, this was your pajamas when you were in second year, and they would never fit this young man. And you, Harry, seem to have mistaken the kitchen rugs for sleepwear," Mrs. Weasley said sternly, and the two boys cringed.

"Ronald, go fetch the blue pajamas we bought last week, and you, Harry, I want you to hand over some clothes he can actually wear," the plump red-headed woman ordered in a voice that made Harry and Ron scuttle out of the room to bid her wishes.

When the boys returned with more suitable clothes, they were both looking murderous. Hermione could hear Ron muttering curses under his breath, but when Mrs. Weasley gave him her meanest look, he fell silent.

"Remus, help me put this clothes on him," Mrs. Weasley said, and Lupin nodded. Hermione assisted them in lifting Malfoy's slack form to slip on him Ron's new pajamas. When they were done, they were all sighing in exhaustion.

"Now, let's all get some rest," Mrs. Weasley said, and Harry and Ron hurriedly snuck out of the room, followed by Lupin, who bid Hermione a good night. She could only nod in response, as she was too tired to even smile or talk.

"Hermione, dear, why don't you and Ginny sleep over with Tonks and Arabella tonight?" Mrs. Weasley suggested in a gentle voice. Hermione shook her head at the woman.

"I'll watch over him," she said, glancing over at Malfoy, who was still sleeping. "Only God knows what he'd do if he finds out he's here at the Order's headquarters."

Mrs. Weasley didn't look too happy with the idea. "No, you're too tired dear, you need your rest… I'll just ask one of the members of the Order to watch him until morning," she suggested in a worried tone, but Hermione just gave her a grim smile.

"No need to bother, Mrs. Weasley… It's my fault he's here, so it's my responsibility to watch over him," she said in a firm voice, and Mrs. Weasley gave a hesitant nod.

"But if you need someone with you here…" she started, but Hermione had already begun shaking her head again. "There's really no need, Mrs. Weasley. I can handle him myself,"

Hermione heaved a sigh when Mrs. Weasley left. She walked over to one of the closets and brought out her old sleeping bag, then rolled in down on the floor ad got one pillow from the bed.

She was about to lie down on the sleeping bag when she remembered something. She went back to the bathroom and got her wand from her wet robe pocket, then sprinted back to the bag and lied down, sighing happily as she snuggled deep in the covers.

Before closing her eyes, she placed her wand under her pillow, just within reach.

She could never be too careful.

xxxxxx

Narcissa hastily shrugged off her wet robes and dumped them in the laundry basket for a house-elf to pick up.

She locked the door of the master's suite and dropped on the bed, crying in anguish for her son, whom she had left in the hands of the enemy. A capable enemy who promised to take care of him. She hoped Draco would fare well, and that he would change his mind about those people whom he considered his foes. The memory charm she had used on him was not a strong one, which would only last for two to three months. She prayed that by then that the war would be over.

And that her husband would be a cold body buried six feet under the ground.

Yes, such a cruel thought of a wife towards her husband. But Lucius Malfoy was no loving husband. She honestly wished he would just get killed by one of the people from the Order so she and her son could finally live in peace.

Those were her last thoughts before she fell into troubled slumber.

xxxxxx

Hermione woke up feeling a lot better. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she gave a small yawn and stretched out her arms.

Just as she opened her eyes, she saw a figure looming over her, gray eyes fixed on her face and blonde hair gleaming from the sunlight in the window.

She screamed. Draco jumped in surprise, and fell bottom first on the floor beside her. A few seconds later Harry, Ron, Lupin, Tonks, Ginny, Fred and Mr. Weasley came running inside the room, wands at the ready, and all alert.

They all pointed their wands at Draco, whose eyes were wide with fright. "Hermione, what's wrong?" Tonks asked.

Hermione was still calming her racing heart, her breathing ragged and uneven. "H—He just surprised me," she managed to say between gasps of air.

"What did you do to Hermione?" Ron snarled to Draco, who was cowering on the floor. "I—I didn't d—do anything," he stuttered, his whole body quaking with fear.

Hermione felt the need to defend him. "He didn't do anything. He just startled me, that's all," she said hastily, and all seven of them slowly lowered their wands, although they still looked at Draco in distrust.

"W—where am I?" Draco asked in a small voice, his question directed to Hermione because she was the only one who looked accommodating enough in the room. The others were giving him looks of loathing.

"Why do you want to know?" Harry asked harshly. Draco flinched at his mean tone. Why was everyone so mad at him? Has he done something wrong?

He couldn't remember anything. He didn't know who he was, where he was, or who these people are. His mind seemed as blank as an untouched parchment, and no matter how much he tried to recall anything, anything at all, nothing came.

"I'm asking you," the raven-haired man wearing glasses said, jolting him out of his thoughts. Draco was fidgeting under his hateful gaze. _Why does he hate me so much?_ He wondered.

"I—I don't remember anything," he mumbled, having a sinking feeling that they wouldn't count on his word.

He was right.

"What do you mean you don't remember anything?" Ron demanded. Everyone was looking at Draco as they waited for his answer.

"I… I woke up not remembering anything," he started, gazing intently on the floor. "I couldn't remember who I who I am and where I was. So I watched her (he pointed at Hermione) and waited for her to wake up… and when she did, she screamed,"

Silence followed his statement. Fred, Ginny, Mr. Weasley and Tonks were having mixed looks of bewilderment and disbelief. Remus was frowning, while Harry and Ron were gawking. How could Draco Malfoy, proud pureblood and Slytherin Prince look so innocent and truthful while telling them a ridiculous lie?

When what Draco said began to seep in Hermione's mind, she finally understood everything. "I think he's telling the truth," she announced.

They then turned to stare at her, as if she had gone bonkers. Finally, Remus spoke. "I think we should let Melissa check her," he suggested, referring to the latest member of the Order, Melissa Abott, one of the healers in St. Mungo's and cousin of Hannah Abott.

Everyone save Draco nodded their agreement. He was still looking a little dazed and a tad too innocent. Tonks quickly bounded down the stairs to call the healer, while everyone stood silent in the bedroom, watching the boy who claimed to have lost his memory with puzzled yet shrewd eyes.

A few minutes later a disgruntled-looking Melissa stepped inside the bedroom, closely followed by Tonks. "Where is he?" she asked, looking around the room. "I want to do this quick, I ain't happy without my morning coffee," when her eyes landed on Draco she gave a disapproving cluck.

"Ah, the Malfoy heir huh?" she said, kneeling down to face Draco, who was again beginning to cower away. "Don't hide away boy, I ain't gonna eat yeh," she said, and Draco stopped squirming.

Melissa gave him several examinations while everyone watched, and when she was finished, she gave a sigh. "Someone's cast a mild Obliviate charm on him. Nothing serious or damaging, he'd just be a mite too forgetful for a couple of months or so," Melissa declared, completely shocking everyone except Hermione and Draco.

"I told you I couldn't remember anything," he grumbled in a child-like voice, but no one answered him. They were all still in a state of shock.

Hermione moved close to Draco and gave him a pat on the knee as a pathetic attempt of comfort, but he smiled at her nonetheless. Hermione was stunned with the sudden transformation in his face when he did that--- he no longer looked like the sulky, dour, arrogant, bigheaded bully he was before.

Now his gray eyes sparkled with a swirl of positive emotions, and its corners crinkled with the upward movement of the corners of his mouth--- not the cocky cold smirk that usually lingers there.

But he was still Draco Malfoy. And after a few months, he would be back to his old arrogant self.

"Draco." She suddenly said. "Draco Malfoy is your name," Draco gave her a nod, and gave her a look that told her to go on. "I'm Hermione Granger." She pointed a finger to herself.

Draco blinked. Then softly, he said, "Hermione." Hermione felt the hairs at the back of her neck go up as her name rolled in his tongue.

Suddenly flustered, she turned to the other people in the room. "He's Harry Potter," she motioned towards Harry, who was still suffering after-shocks. "That person over there is Ron Weasley," she pointed Ron. "That girl with the long hair is Ginny, Ron's sister. Beside her is her older brother, Fred, and the one standing over there is Mr. Weasley, their dad," Draco nodded as she pointed to each person.

"That man with the pink haired girl is professor Lupin, and the girl with him is Tonks. The one who checked you up earlier is Melissa," Hermione finally glanced back at Draco, who seemed to be absorbing everything she said.

"That one is Harry, the one there is Ron, the girl is Ginny, and she standing there with Fred and Mr. Weasley. Professor Lupin is talking to Tonks, and the one who examined me is named Melissa," he said promptly, and Hermione couldn't help but applaud.

"Very good, Draco," she said, and he gave her a shy smile that reminded Hermione of a bashful child who was congratulated for doing a good job. "Now, why don't you change into some clothes there by the bedside and come down with us for breakfast?"

Draco nodded and stood up, then went over to the bedside table to gather some garments. Hermione almost screamed again, when he began to unbutton his top, his back turned to her.

"Hey you!" Ron yelled. "Change in the bathroom!" Draco, however had already taken off his shirt.

Hermione gave a gasp when she got a full view of Draco's back.

They were covered with scars.

xxxxxx

A/n: Now that's a long chappie! I hope you wouldn't be too disappointed now… And I swear to update soon if schoolwork doesn't get in the way!


	5. Broken Souls

Bittersweet

By cenagurl

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, although if I were to meet a genie, I'd wish it was mine so I can get Hermy and Drakey together…

xxxxxx

Chapter 5: Broken Souls

He had the feeling that everyone in the room was staring at him.

He was right.

He slowly turned around to face them, and when he did, they all wore identical looks of shock and disbelief on their faces. Some of them had their mouths hanging open, while the others looked momentarily petrified.

When he could no longer take their unblinking gazes, he finally spoke. "What's wrong?" he asked, but no one seemed inclined to answer his question.

Hermione was so shocked with what she saw that she couldn't form a coherent thought. When she regained her composure a few moments later, she gave Draco a weak smile.

"Well, shall we all head down to breakfast now?" she asked, and everyone seemed to snap back to reality. Slowly Harry and the others walked out of the room, until only Hermione and Draco were left.

He was about to open his mouth to speak, but Hermione quickly cut in. "Change your clothes now," she said without looking at him, then went over to the cabinet to gather some clothes. After choosing her old pink sweater and some jeans, she went to the bathroom to change.

When Hermione finished dressing, she went out of the bathroom and saw that Draco had already left. "I hope he'll be able to find the way to the kitchen," she said to herself as she brushed her hair and tied it in a ponytail.

After she finished fixing herself up, she rushed downstairs and headed to the kitchen, her stomach rumbling soundly as an inviting aroma of pancakes and bacon wafted in the air.

She entered the kitchen and saw that almost everyone was already seated around the large table, munching on their breakfast. Draco was not there, however.

"Has anyone seen Malfoy?" she asked, and they all shook their heads. Feeling a sudden rush of worry, she headed upstairs again, then one by one checked each room.

She found him at Minerva McGonagall's room. She knocked softly before entering, and saw Draco sitting at the foot of McGonagall's bed, talking to the old Transfiguration teacher herself.

"Ah, Hermione," McGonagall said warmly when she saw her favorite student. "Mr. Malfoy here was just asking me what his name was, and where he was,"

Hermione gave her a wan smile. "He lost his memory, professor," she still couldn't stop herself from calling her that; after all, it has just been a year since she graduated from Hogwarts.

"Yes, Molly informed me last night," Minerva said with a nod. "I did?" asked the blonde-haired boy in mild surprise. "And who are you?" his gaze was riveted on Hermione, so the question was obviously directed to her.

Hermione blinked. Only ten minutes had passed but he's already forgotten everything? _Oh damn_, Hermione thought, _this is going to be so rough…_

"I'm Hermione," she answered in a loud, clear voice. "Her-my-oh-nee," she repeated, and Draco nodded his understanding. "Nice to meet you, Hermione," he said in such a friendly voice that astounded Hermione.

"This is Minerva McGonagall," Draco said, pointing a finger at the old woman on the bed. "I asked her why she's lying in bed when it's already so late in the morning, and she said that she can't walk anymore because some mean guys cast a curse on her," he explained to Hermione, who immediately went rigid at his words.

Professor McGonagall rarely talked about her condition; she had told Hermione she hated being so useless and unable to do things for the Order, and once she even cried in front of her star student about wanting so badly to get out of the house, and finally understanding how Sirius felt when he was the one stuck at Grimmauld Place.

Minerva gave Hermione a dry smile. "He told me I was a lazy old codger for lying in bed so late in the morning, so I felt the need to defend myself," she said by way of explanation, giving a sideway glance at Draco.

"Draco!" Hermione gasped out. "How could you say such cruel things to professor McGonagall? Apologize this instant!" she ordered, and Draco looked guiltily at the professor as he mumbled, "Sorry,"

Minerva was looking at Hermione and Draco quizzically. Never had she seen these former students act like that around each other--- especially a Slytherin and a Gryffindor! It amused her vastly to see the proud and arrogant Malfoy heir be so submissive to a muggle-born!

"It's alright," she said lightly. "Have you two eaten your breakfasts?" the two teenagers shook their heads in unison.

"Well, why don't you two head downstairs then? And do tell Molly I'm wanting extra sugar today with my coffee," Minerva waved a dismissive hand at them, and Hermione and Draco bid the old woman goodbye before heading for the door.

When they stepped out of the room, Draco turned to his companion with perplexity in his gray eyes. "Who would do such a horrid thing to her?" he asked.

Hermione couldn't answer him directly. She didn't have the heart to tell him that it was his own father that crippled Minerva so she wouldn't be able to reach the Order on time to warn them about one of Voldemort's attacks.

"The Death Eaters," she replied quietly. Draco's brows met together in confusion. "Who are they?" he asked, a hint of anxiousness in his tone.

Hermione sighed. Oh well. It wouldn't hurt to explain a few things to him, since in a few minute's time he wouldn't recall a thing.

"They are the supporters of the most dangerous wizard, Voldemort, and they want to kill someone that the Order--- that's our group---- would protect with their own lives," Hermione said, pausing when the reached the stairs.

"Who is the person we want to protect?" Draco asked. Hermione was completely aware that he said WE and not YOU. Did he think he was one of them? That he was a member of the Order?

Hermione didn't know why, but her heart warmed at what he just said. Wouldn't it be wonderful if he would be like that when he regains his memory?

"Harry Potter," she answered, leading the way as they trudged down the stairs. "He's the only one that can really defeat Voldemort, although I think that professor Dumbledore would stand a good chance as well,"

"Harry Potter…" Draco repeated thoughtfully. "He seems like a great guy. Can I meet him?"

Hermione stopped dead on her tracks, her mouth falling open at the absurdity in Draco's words. She would have laughed if she weren't so surprised. She, in her whole eighteen years of existence, would never have thought that those words would ever come out of Draco Malfoy's mouth.

"O—of course you can meet him," she stammered out when they reached the foot of the stairs. Draco's eyes brightened up, and he eagerly followed her as she led the way to the kitchen.

When they entered, Hermione saw that only Harry, Ron, Fred, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley were in the kitchen. Ron choked on his pancakes when he caught sight of Draco, and Fred spat out some of his orange juice.

Ginny's face was green; Harry looked ready to lose his breakfast then and there.

"Draco," Hermione started as they settled on two vacant chairs across where Harry and Ginny sat. "This is Harry Potter," she glanced over at Harry, and a wide grin spread over Draco's face.

"Nice to meet you!" Draco said, extending his hand towards Harry, who stared at it in bafflement, then at Hermione, who was smiling rather sheepishly.

"He seems to have forgotten everything again," Hermione explained. Harry was still staring at Draco's extended hand. When he got a hold of himself, he told Draco in a very cool voice, "Yes, real nice."

Draco's hand dropped limply on the table, but he managed a small smile. "Hermione told me you're the only one who could defeat the bad wizard Voldemort," he said cheerfully, and Ron snorted over his orange juice, while Fred snickered.

"I s'ppose you're wanting an autograph of The-Boy-Who-Lived?" Fred asked with a sneer, while Ginny covered her mouth as she stifled her laughter. Harry, on the other hand, was glaring at Hermione.

"You just had to tell him that, didn't you?" he asked heatedly, and Hermione saw Draco flinch at his hard tone. She couldn't help but feel a sudden surge of anger. After all, this isn't really the Draco Malfoy they knew; how can they still be so cruel to him?

But as Hermione pondered more over this, she realized that Draco did deserve their wrath. But still it annoyed the hell out of her when they picked on the sweet, innocent Draco Malfoy.

"Why, Drakey, have you forgotten that you used to worship our Harry here?" Fred asked in a sickeningly sweet voice. "He was your inspiration back in school," Ron added wickedly, but fell silent when Harry shot him a death glare.

"Guys, stop it," Hermione burst out, her gaze straying to Draco, who was honestly looking both confused and awed by the conversation in the table.

"C'mon, Draco, let's eat," she suggested, placing some pancakes and bacons on his plate, then on her own as well. The table fell silent as they ate, and Hermione could see Draco giving worried glances over at Harry, as though expecting him to bellow out again.

Fred was the first to rise from the table. Stretching, he announced, "I'm heading off to our jokeshop, George might need some hand there," Ron shoved the last piece of bacon in his mouth and gulped down the rest of his orange juice.

"I'm going with you," he said quickly as he stood. "You want to go too, Harry?" the redhead asked, but Harry shook his head. "Can I go?" Draco asked, a hopeful look on his face. "No," the answer came almost immediately from Ron's mouth, and Hermione glared at him.

"You can't go, Draco, because…" Hermione thought about telling him that they were supposed to hide him from his maniac of a father but wouldn't that sound too daunting?

"Why, Mione?" he asked, turning to look at her. "Because… it's too far," she finally said after a few seconds of silence. "And it really isn't nice to go there," she added when Draco looked dubious.

"Alright," he responded in a defeated voice, a sad look crossing his face. Hermione felt the need to console him. "We can go to Buckbeak after breakfast," she announced, and Draco's eyes brightened up again.

"Buckbeak? Where is that?" he asked excitedly. Harry rolled his eyes, then followed Ron and Fred as they left the kitchen. Ginny began to rise, and Hermione told her to tell Mrs. Weasley about Minerva's breakfast.

"It's not a place, Draco, it's an animal," Hermione explained as she sipped her orange juice. "What kind of animal is it?" he asked. "A hippogriff," she answered, and he suddenly cringed. "I don't really like hippogriffs…" he started, and Hermione recalled that Buckbeak was the one that kicked Draco in their third year.

"You remember what happened to you in our third year then?" she asked. Draco shook his head and answered after swallowing a forkful of bacon. "I don't remember anything about myself," he said with a shrug. "But when you mentioned the hippogriff, a sudden thought went up in my head, and it said, 'I hate hippogriffs!',"

"Oh," Hermione replied. "But Buckbeak is a nice animal, I swear! You just have to bow to him, and when he bows back, you can pet him and even ride him!"

Draco looked at her with reluctance. "I guess it's alright to try to see him…" he said slowly, and Hermione beamed. "Great! Shall we go now?" she asked, and Draco nodded.

They walked upstairs in companionable silence, then went over to the room where Buckbeak stayed. "Are you ready?" Hermione asked as she reached for the handle of the door.

Draco nodded. "I trust you, Mione," he whispered, and Hermione felt a warm sensation at the pit of her stomach with his words. It felt so good to have him trust her. But did she deserve his trust?

Hermione pushed that thought away as she opened the door, and led Draco to Buckbeak, who was feeding on some dead rats on his plate. Buckbeak turned his yellow eyes on them as he munched on his feast.

"Hello Buckbeak," she said cheerfully, bowing before the animal. Buckbeak bowed back, and Hermione gave him a pat on the head. Draco, emboldened by Hermione's success, quickly rushed over to Buckbeak and touched some of his feathers.

"Draco, bow first----" Hermione screamed when Buckbeak's front legs went up the air then slammed on Draco's shoulder and chest forcefully that he flew five feet away from where he stood.

Hermione felt like she was watching what exactly happened in their third year. Draco lay sprawled on the ground, blood blossoming from his shirt. Hermione stilled the angry animal, then went over to her injured companion.

"Draco, are you alright?" she asked worriedly, helping him sit up. "I---it kicked me," he groaned out when Hermione heaved him from the ground. "The stupid bird kicked me!"

"I know, and I'm so sorry I brought you there," she said as they hobbled out of the room, not bothering to defend the hippogriff.

"W---why did it kick me?" Draco asked. "You forgot to bow," Hermione told him as they walked towards her bedroom.

"Is it always so mean?" he asked, grunting in pain as he lay down on the bed. "It's just too proud," she answered. "You just stay here. I'll go get Melissa to heal your wound,"

Hermione rushed out of the room and found the healer in Minerva's room. "Melissa, I need your assistance," she said, and Melissa gave her a perplexed look. "Why? Is it the Malfoy heir?" she asked, and Hermione nodded.

"I brought him to Buckbeak, and he forgot to bow, so he was kicked---" she was halfway finished when Melissa stood up. "Hell, woman, why did you bring him there?" the healer bellowed.

Hermione was about to explain but the healer was already heading for the door. "Where is he?" Melissa asked. "In my room," Hermione answered quickly, and the two of them walked quickly to her room.

When they entered, they saw that Draco was unconscious. His eyes were closed, and the blood from his shirt now soaked the bed sheets. "Get me some bandages, and a fresh shirt as well," Melissa ordered, and Hermione hastened to obey.

When she returned to Draco, she saw that Melissa had torn off his shirt, and was murmuring some spell under her breath as she pointed wand on the gash on Draco's shoulder.

"Here are the bandages and the new shirt," Hermione gasped out as she tried to catch her breath. The healer spared her only the briefest of glances. "Place them in the table, and help me bandage his shoulder," Hermione did as she was told, and when they finished the task, Melissa told her to watch over Draco and not to bring him somewhere dangerous again.

Hermione pulled a chair at the side of the bed and got a book on the shelf. She sat on the chair and propped the book open. She was absorbed with the book with the first half hour, but soon she grew bored and threw the book aside.

Draco was still asleep. She watched his slumbering form, taking in the slightly rumpled white-blonde hair, the long lashes fanned against such pale cheeks, the slightly open lips…

He looked so peaceful. Hermione had never seen him look that way before. Then she realized that all she saw in him those past seven years were bad things--- his arrogance, bigheadedness, constant taunting… she didn't see an ounce of goodness in him.

But was Draco Malfoy purely evil? Hermione couldn't detect a hint of evilness in him now. He was carefree, trusting, kind…

Just then, a moan escaped from Draco's mouth. "Draco?" Hermione, instantly alert, asked, but the boy didn't seem to hear her. "No…" the boy whispered, starting to twist the sheets around him, a pained expression on his face.

"What's wrong?" she asked anxiously, reaching out to steady him. "No… father… stop… it's… please…" Draco was saying in a low, strained voice, as though he was trying hard not to show his pain.

Hermione realized that the Draco was having a sort of nightmare. "Draco, wake up," she said, shaking him. He didn't stir. "Father… no…" he continued to plea.

What was he dreaming about? Was his father torturing him? Hermione gave him another shake, this one much firmer. The action sprung Draco to life; he bolted up, hi silver eyes glazed over unseeingly, his hands going up to Hermione's upper arms.

"Father, stop it! It's painful…" with that his eyes slid close again and he fell on her, his form slack and still again. Hermione was rigid against him, her eyes wide. It was obvious that his father was torturing him.

But that was impossible. Why would Lucius torture his only son? For all she could remember, Draco had taken every opportunity to brag about his father, and how he got everything he asked for from his father with just a snap of a finger.

Was it all for show? Was Draco not really the spoiled overindulged son everyone believed him to be?

Hermione gingerly set him back down in bed, still in a state of shock. She honestly needed to sit down. Fast.

Rubbing her temples, she glanced at Draco's still form once more.

Now that was a shock.

xxxxxx

A/n: Thanks for the reviews! And please keep more of it coming… : D Oh, and I'll probably be updating every weekends now, because senior life is just plain hard and mind-drying.


	6. Monsters and Heroes

Bittersweet

by cenagurl

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters… But if JK would sell them to me for a couple of bucks, then what the hell, it's mine! MINE!

Note: About the problem with chapter 1 and 4 being the same… it's repaired! I'm so sorry to those who were confused! I was editing all the chapters, and I kind of got them mixed up. So to those who read the two chapter 4s, go read the first chapter now: )

xxxxxx

Chapter 6: Monsters and Heroes

Draco woke up sweating and breathing heavily. He bolted up, his eyes bright silver, looking wildly at his dark surroundings. Where was he? He couldn't see a thing. The room was pitch-black, making him very aware of the distinct rumblings of the thunder outside and the heavy bullets of the rain pattering on the roof.

He shoved the sheets away from him and jumped from the bed. As he did this, a sharp pain shot through his left shoulder and chest, making him curse floridly under his breath. Staggering, he felt for the door so he can get out--- he didn't know why, but he wasn't very comfortable with the dark.

When he opened the door, he stepped into a scarcely lit hallway that looked so morose and creepy, then hesitantly started walking onwards. Just as he was about to reach the stairs, he bumped into someone--- literally.

He let out an unsuppressed gasp of surprise as the stranger groped for him in the dark. "Lumos," the stranger muttered, and the tip of his wand lighted up. He then held it up to see whom he had bumped into, and when they saw each other's faces, one looked startled and the other looked so ready to wet his pants in fear.

"You--- you---" Draco started, his whole body quivering in fear. "Draco? Is that you?" the man asked in utter disbelief. The stranger made a move to step closer to him, and just as he was about to do so, Draco saw the stranger's face--- he had greasy black hair, a hooked nose and sallow skin.

"Waaaaaahhhh--- monster!" he screamed, then rushed past the man, whose mouth hung open in surprise. Just then another screaming followed Draco's, an old woman's voice, and he ran as fast as his feet could carry him, his heart racing under his ribcage in absolute horror. He never looked back, just ran on, until he reached the bottom of the stairs, where he slammed to another person.

"Draco, are you alright?" a female voice asked worriedly, and Draco felt small nimble hands steady him around the upper arms. Draco didn't know why, but somehow, the fear he was feeling suddenly melted away at the new stranger's voice. He relaxed in her grip, and he whispered, "Where am I?"

He felt the girl sigh. "You're… somewhere safe," she answered. Draco felt thoroughly confused with the girl's words. If he was safe here, then who was that monster upstairs, and the woman screaming?

"Are you sure?" he asked, wanting a sort of confirmation from the girl so he can be at peace. "Yes," the girl replied, and he gave a sigh of utter relief. "Have you just woken up? Are you hungry?" she asked.

That's when Draco realized how hungry he was; his stomach rumbled loudly, mingling with the fading screams of the old woman. The girl laughed when she heard the noise. "I thought so," she said, then led him to a candle-lit room, where quite a number of people were gathered in a table, eating their meals and speaking in hushed voices.

As they entered the room, Draco turned to see who his rescuer was. It was a girl of medium height, with brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, and mahogany eyes that looked more golden in the soft light. She wore a simple pink sweater, and some faded jeans that didn't make her look one bit ordinary. Draco thought she looked… adorable.

He could remember her face… but he can't seem to recall her name. Now that he thought about it, he didn't recall his name as well until the sallow-faced monster called him. His name was Draco… but who was she?

He thought real hard about her name… he could feel it started with H. Was it… Her… Her… Her…

"Hermy?" he finally blurted out. The girl looked at him quizzically for a moment, and then gave him a warm smile. "Yes Draco, Hermy," she said softly, then walked over to the table while he trailed behind her, his stomach giving another rumble when he caught a whiff of roast pork and Yorkshire pudding.

The people looked up at the noise, surprised. A redheaded boy gave him a cold glare as he shoveled a spoonful of food in his mouth, while the raven-haired boy wearing glasses pushed his own plate away, as though suddenly losing his appetite because of his presence.

"Is he alright, Hermione?" a rotund woman asked anxiously, looking over at Draco's savior. Hermione nodded, then turned to look at him. "What happened upstairs, Draco? Why were you screaming?" she asked.

Draco looked frightened again as he recalled the ugly monster upstairs. "Th---there was a monster upstairs," he stammered out, and was totally bewildered when some of the people in the table laughed.

"What monster are you talking about, Malfoy?" the redhead beside the raven-haired man asked sarcastically, clutching his sides as he laughed.

"The monster happens to be me." said a cold voice from the doorway. Everyone's head's swiveled to that direction, and they all saw Severus Snape standing idly in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest.

Draco gave a low whimper and hid behind Hermione. Ron and the others sobered up at once, although there were hints of grins on their faces as they realized that Malfoy had thought the potions master a monster.

Snape's beetle black eyes surveyed the room with indifferently before falling on the frowning ex-Gryffindor with his former Slytherin pupil hiding behind her back. "Would anyone explain to me why Draco is here in Grimmauld Place?" he asked in a calm, dangerous voice.

Molly Weasley paused in washing the dishes. "Well, Severus, since you arrived only tonight, we didn't have the time to tell you that---" she stopped when she caught sight of Draco. "I'll explain later in the meeting," she said quickly, and Snape nodded curtly.

"Well, shall we eat?" Hermione asked, and Draco gave a hesitant nod after shooting Snape another fearful look. The two of them sat down and ate in silence. Harry and the others had already risen and were shuffling out in the room. Snape had gone out as well, saying that he needed to speak to Minerva.

After eating, Hermione and Draco walked out of the kitchen then went over to Harry's room, where most of the teenagers in the house hung out. "Draco, I want you to remember that when Harry and the others are mean to you when we come to them… I'm here, and I'll be your friend," Hermione whispered, and Draco nodded, remembering the looks of loathing on the faces of the people in the dining room, and feeling very grateful towards the girl that rescued him.

"But Hermy… may I ask why they're so mad at me?" Draco asked as they started climbing the staircase. He saw the girl bite her lower lip, as though debating whether to tell him anything or not.

"Well…" Hermione began, looking unsure of what to say. "We… sort of didn't get along back at school…"

"Was I the bad one?" Draco asked, looking as though he feared her answer. Hermione was silent for a long time. He took that as a yes. After all, silence always meant yes. At least to him, it did.

"I was so horrible, wasn't I?" he asked timidly after the long, tense silence. Hermione was at a loss with what to say to him. "Err--- well--- I admit, you were quite horrible, but honestly, at times I found you alright, and--- we're here!" she looked very relieved when they reached Harry's bedroom door.

She hastily turned the knob, but it was locked. "Harry?" she called out, knocking on the door. No answer.

Hermione stared at the door, perplexed. "Harry, are you there?" she said a little bit more loudly, but still there was no answer. "Maybe he's asleep," she concluded, turning to glance at Draco.

"Maybe he doesn't want to see us," he returned. Hermione felt a sharp pang in her heart. She looked like she agreed with him, but she didn't say anything, just gave Draco a small shrug and a forced smile.

"Maybe professor McGonagall wants to see us," she announced in a falsely bright voice. Draco had caught the injured look on her face, however. "They don't want to see you because of me," he said quietly.

Hermione bit her lip, then patted him awkwardly on the shoulder. "No, maybe they're just too exhausted and don't want to be disturbed," she replied grimly.

Just then, a loud crash of thunder sounded from outside, and Draco fell down on his knees, his hands covering his ears and his face hidden behind his longish strands of white-blonde hair. Hermione knelt down in front of him and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Draco, you're shaking," she observed, but he didn't respond, just went rigid when lightning cracked in the black sky followed by another loud bellow of the thunder. She gave him a gentle squeeze on his uninjured shoulder, then assisted him in standing up.

"Let's just go to my room," she said soothingly, and Draco gave a small nod, his hands still on his ears. Hermione led him to her room, then, when they entered, she brought out her wand and lighted the torches that hung on the wall.

She let Draco sit on the edge of the bed, and she sat on the chair she had sat on earlier. He was still shaking when she turned to look at him. "Draco, it's over," she said gently, leaning over to gingerly pull his hands from his ears and face.

"I hate storms," he whispered, his arms falling limply to his sides. Hermione gave a solemn nod of agreement. "I do too, but we can't escape it because it always comes. And unexpectedly most of the times if I might add," she responded, the image of Draco lying unconscious at the dark alleyway vivid in her mind.

Draco didn't answer, just stared off into space for a long time. "I just woke up, I'm not sleepy," he suddenly announced, breaking the silence that hung in the air.

"Then what would you like to do?" Hermione asked, yawning. Draco gave her an impish grin. "Since you're sleepy, I'll just watch you sleep," he said.

Hermione cocked a brow at him. "Wouldn't that be a total bore?" she asked. "If you want, you can go read some of my books," she offered, but Draco quickly shook his head. "I want to watch you sleep," he said stubbornly, and Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the ludicrousness of the situation. She never dreamed that Draco Malfoy, her number one nemesis, would want to watch her sleep. Well, maybe he would want that, then strangle her to death or drown her in the river.

"Alright, watch me if you want," she answered, rising from the chair. She then headed over to the cabinet, her pace slow and sluggish. She brought out her orange flannel pajamas then walked over to the bathroom and changed. After scrubbing her face and brushing her teeth, she stepped out and rolled down her sleeping bag on the floor.

Draco watched her with fascinated eyes. "Why do you sleep on the floor?" he asked. "I thought only house elves do that."

Hermione glanced up at him with an annoyed look in her face. "Yes, and doesn't anyone pity them? They deserve to be treated kindly, as equals, and not as servants!" she snapped out, surprising Draco with her sudden brash tone.

"If that's what you think…" Draco responded carefully, realizing that his rescuer also had some aggressive streak in her. No, she didn't look one bit like the meek girl he saw earlier. Her eyes were now blazing amber with irritation, and her lips were pursed disapprovingly.

"I'm going to sleep," she announced curtly, lying down on the sleeping bag and covering her body with the blanket. "Don't you want to sleep on the bed?" Draco asked.

"No." Hermione replied shortly, closing her eyes to sleep. Draco felt so ashamed that he had angered his savior that he couldn't help watching her lie on the floor like some slave. Sighing, he went over to her and picked her up from the floor.

Literally.

Hermione gave a startled shriek, and hastily tried to break away from him. Draco was adamant, however. She was the one who rescued him from the sallow-faced monster after all. "Draco!" she said loudly, trying to escape from his grip. Draco dropped her on the bed rather ungracefully, then gave her a smile that said he won.

"I always get my way," he said arrogantly, although he did not sound like the old Draco; rather, he sounded like a child who managed to have his way without any hassle. Hermione made a move to sit up, but Draco pushed her right back down.

"Go on, you don't have to worry about me, I'm not one bit sleepy," Draco assured her, and Hermione reluctantly pulled the sheets to her.

"You're going to be fine?" she asked, and he nodded firmly. "If I get bored, I'll just read some of the books here," he said, and Hermione nodded in agreement, her eyes beginning to droop lower and lower.

"Sleep now," Draco said softly, and Hermione finally closed her eyes, sleep coming over her almost too quickly.

He watched her the whole night, his eyes never leaving her serene face.

xxxxxx

Harry heaved a sigh when Fred confirmed that Draco and Hermione had already left his doorway. Taking the extendable ear from the wall, the redhead heaved a sigh. "I almost feel sorry for the git," he said. Then, a second later, he stuck out his tongue and crossed his eyes. "Not!"

"I wish you didn't leave Hermione with him," Ginny huffed out, her arms crossed over her chest. "She didn't do anything to us after all,"

"Well, she brought Malfoy here, didn't she?" George reminded his sister, recalling in full detail the story Fred told him about Hermione bringing the brat in Grimmauld Place.

"We all know Hermione," Ron said, shifting uneasily on Harry's bed. "She's too tender-hearted that she even took the poor, innocent Malfoy in," the twins nodded their agreement.

"Why, what would you do if you were in the same situation, Ron?" Ginny asked angrily. "I wouldn't bother with the git, of course," Ron answered without any hint of remorse on his face.

"Let's just drop the subject, alright?" Harry said furiously, and they all quieted down quickly. Ginny gave Harry a pat on the arm. "Harry, we can't avoid Malfoy forever," she said softly, her brown eyes pleading with Harry's stormy green ones.

Harry was about to reply when a sharp rap sounded at the door. "Meeting at the Order starts in two minutes," came Tonks' cheerful voice. Harry quickly stood up and yanked the door open.

"Coming," he muttered, slamming the door loudly behind him before the Weasley siblings could follow him.

xxxxxx

"Where is he?"

Lucius asked that question softly, calmly. Narcissa shook her head at her husband, her pale blonde hair falling limply on her bruised shoulders, and her bleeding mouth quivering as she held back her tears.

"Crucio!" Lucius bellowed, and Narcissa screamed in pain, her body twisting in an odd angle. Narcissa fell on the tiled floor with a thud just as Lucius lazily lowered his wand. "The truth potion will be ready in a few hours," he told her with a sneer. "So if you want to save yourself from more pain, I suggest that you tell me where Draco is right now,"

Narcissa gave a low whimper when Lucius grabbed a fistful of her hair and neared his face to hers. "You won't tell me?" he asked idly when Narcissa shook her head. Forcefully he threw her back on the floor, then pointed his wand to his wife.

"Crucio."

xxxxxx

A/n: harhar. Hope you liked this chapter. Please review: D And domo arigato to the consistent reviewers! I swear your names will be honored in the next chappies! And those anonymous reviewers as well… you're not forgotten!

Note: To those who are wondering why I'm still in school when almost all of you have already gotten out… I live in Asia, and school just began here… Urrgh! I hate being a senior! So many works to be done already, and we've just been in school for three weeks! And the college entrance exams… -shudder- so please, please bear with me if ever I fail to submit a new chappie for a long time, okay? Don't forget Bittersweet…

Extra note: if you find any grammatical errors on my works… please e-mail them to me so I can repair whatever it is that needs to be repaired. And thanks to the reviewer who was kind enough to tell me some of the wrong grammars etc. with the chapters. Benedict cite (God bless)!


	7. Vows

Bittersweet

by cenagurl

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters… I own someone's heart though… -evil smile-

A/n: a whole bunch of thanks to all the reviewers who consistently gave me their comments, opinions, suggestions, and even just those plain and flattering compliments! I love you guys: D All of you are honored below…

xxxxxx

Chapter 7: Vows

"Oy, Hermione, wake up."

Ron glanced helplessly at Harry, who just shrugged in reply. "Why won't she wake up?" he asked irritably, nudging Hermione again on the shoulder but the girl didn't stir one bit.

"D'you think the git did something to her?" Ron asked Harry. Harry gave a brief glance at the slumbering boy on the chair. "With Malfoy, nothing is impossible," he responded.

Ron shook Hermione harder in the shoulder. "Hermione, it's late, you're going to miss your Transfiguration class!" he yelled on her ear, and Hermione suddenly jerked awake, her eyes wide and all traces of sleep gone. "Oh my God, have I forgotten to set the alarm? What time is it, my first class begins in---" she halted her panicked ranting when she caught sight of her two friends standing near the bed, wicked grins on their faces.

"I knew she'd respond to that," Ron said, and he and Harry exchanged another smile. Hermione glowered at them until they had sobered up. "And what are the two of you doing here?" she asked frostily.

"Hell, it's almost ten, Hermione!" Ron exclaimed. "And you didn't attend the meeting last night," Harry added, looking slightly guilty. "I was tired," Hermione answered in the same cold voice. "But weren't you also tired last night? So tired that you couldn't even answer the door when I knocked?"

Harry's eyes were downcast and Ron was shifting uncomfortably, unsure of where to look. "Hermione, about last night…" Harry began, slowly lifting his anxious green eyes to Hermione's cool brown ones. "I'm really sorry about that. I know we shouldn't have locked the door and left you with Malfoy,"

Hermione turned to look at Draco, whose six-foot form was cramped in a chair, eyes closed in deep slumber. "Speaking of Malfoy, I wish you would stop being so mean to him," she said, and Ron looked as though he didn't know whether to laugh or to wail while Harry's face was turning into a sickly shade of green.

"It's only been two days and you're already siding with him?" Ron spat out in disbelief. Hermione's calm exterior snapped. "Ron, are you just so thickheaded that you can't seem to realize that he isn't the same person we knew back in school?" she ground out, her brown eyes blazing with unsuppressed anger. "His memory is gone, and now he's revealing to us a new side of him. Why can't you guys give him a chance?"

Harry swallowed and rubbed his temples with his right hand. "Hermione… forgive me if I'm acting this way. I'm still not used to having Malfoy around, but as Ginny told me last night, I really can't avoid him forever," he said in a strained voice.

"There is no way on earth I am getting cozy with the bastard!" Ron said, crossing his arms on his chest, and shooting the sleeping boy a dirty look. Hermione sighed in exasperation.

"I am not telling you to be cozy with him, I just want you to stop throwing those mean looks when he's around and be civil," she told Ron. "I'll be civil when he's civil," he answered in a low mutter.

Hermione had to smile at what her friends said. She was pretty proud, actually, that she made Harry and Ron swear to be civil to Malfoy with just one argument. Harry saw her smile, and he quickly said, "We're not promising you anything, Hermione. If Malfoy does… something, we won't hesitate to hex him, or even put him under some curse,"

"Yeah, this doesn't mean we're going to be chums with him or anything," Ron growled, giving a shiver at the horrid idea. "I'm not asking you to be friends with him, because I know that would be impossible," Hermione said, untangling the sheets from her body as she eased herself from the bed. "All I'm asking of you is to stop being so mean to him,"

Harry let out a sigh, and Ron slowly nodded. Hermione, beaming widely, rushed over to her friends and engulfed them in a rib-cracking hug. "Thanks guys," she whispered, tears prickling at the corner of her eyes.

Harry and Ron gave her an affectionate squeeze. "Anytime, Hermione…" Harry whispered.

"Oh, hell!" Ron suddenly pulled away, looking aghast. "What is it, Ron?" Hermione asked worriedly, pulling away from their group hug. Harry was also looking at Ron anxiously.

"I'm supposed to pick Luna up at Diagon Alley! I'm so dead…" muttering, Ron disappeared with a cracking sound, while Harry and Hermione gawked at the spot where he stood a second ago.

"What's happening here?" Draco's groggy voice snapped Harry and Hermione back to reality. "Where am I? Who are you?" his last question was directed to Harry, who was looking at the door longingly. Harry gave him a very forced smile. "I'm Harry," he said. "Harry Potter."

Draco nodded, then glanced at Hermione with bright gray eyes. "Hermy?" he called out, and Hermione gave him a gentle smile. "Where's the bathroom? I need to piss," Draco said, and Harry snorted with laughter while Hermione blushed.

"O—over there," she pointed to the enamel-painted door beside the cabinet, and Draco stood up from the chair, giving a loud groan as he stretched his cramped muscles. He walked over to the bathroom, then closed the door behind him with a soft click.

"His brash mouth needs to be controlled," Harry commented, shaking his head with a soft chuckle. "Piss? He could have put that into better context," he gave Hermione a light tap on the shoulder before exiting the bedroom.

Hermione, however, was staring at the door in fascination. Draco remembered her name despite his condition… Smiling, she walked over to the cabinet and got her towel and some clothes. She brought out a towel for Draco as well, along with some of Harry's old garments.

A few minutes later Draco emerged from the bathroom, his blonde hair wet and pulled back from his freshly washed face. Hermione handed him his towel and the clothes as well. "Take your bath now," she ordered, and Draco nodded, taking the towel and the clothes from her.

Hermione sat on the chair and browsed over one of her books as she waited for Draco to finish his bath. She leaned idly on the backrest of the chair and opened the thick leather bound book, listlessly glancing at each page with dazed brown eyes.

She was almost at the middle of the book when she heard Draco's scream from the bathroom. Without thinking she threw the book and ran over to the bathroom--- the door wasn't locked and when she entered, she saw Draco cowering near the bathtub, looking deeply frightened, naked save for the towel wrapped on his torso.

"What's wrong?" she asked in panic, rushing over to him. Draco turned his gray eyes to her worried brown ones, his face paler than the usual. "T—There are scars on my b—back…" he stuttered out.

Hermione understood why he was acting that way. "Yes, you have those… is that why you got scared?" she asked softly, and Draco gave a small nod. "Where have I gotten those?" he asked.

Hermione bit her lip. She didn't know where he got those scars, but she had the feeling that Lucius had something to do with it. But she didn't have the heart to tell him that she had the suspicion his own father did that to him though.

"From an accident," she finally blurted out after a moment's silence. Hermione was relieved when she saw Draco look as though he believed her.

"Now that I've looked at myself in the mirror, I finally know how ugly I am," he suddenly said, completely startling Hermione. Her brown-eyed gaze fell on his face, and she gave him a thorough gaze that made Draco squirm shyly.

"You're not ugly," she said a few minutes later, her eyes still on him. "In fact, now that I've gotten a closer look at you, I must say that you are fairly handsome," she confessed, a light blush staining her cheeks. She reached out to touch an errant lock that hung on his forehead, still wet from the shower while he continued to stare at her.

"But my back…" Draco started, biting his lower lip. "Your scars don't make you one bit ugly, Draco." Hermione whispered, her hand falling to his cheek. "It makes you what you are, and it's no reason for you to feel inferior,"

Draco gave her a small smile, and squeezed her hand that lay on his cheek with his own warm one. "Thank you, Mione," he said, his sincere tone warming Hermione's heart.

"Go change into some clothes now, I'll just take a shower," she told him, and he went back to the bedroom to change while she gathered her towel and took a shower. Thirty minutes later she came out, wearing a pale blue shirt and a cotton white skirt that reached her knees. Draco was standing before the shelf, poring over some books, wearing Harry's old red shirt a pair of baggy jeans that seemed to be an original property of Dudley Dursley, Harry's bullying obese cousin.

Hermione thought he looked nice despite the oldness of the outfit. "Hey," she called out, and Draco gave her a friendly grin. "I want to eat, Mione," he said, his hand going to his stomach.

"I do too, so let's go downstairs!" Hermione answered, and the two of them went downstairs and headed straight to the kitchen. Only Mrs. Weasley and Tonks were there, however.

"Morning Hermione!" Tonks said energetically, popping a croissant in her mouth. "And a good morning to you too, dear cousin Draco!" she added when she saw Draco staring at her with curiosity.

"Cousin?" Draco echoed as he sat down. "What's your name then? I don't believe we've met before, although in fact, I can't seem to recall anything…" he said, his brows meeting together, and Tonks gave him a huge smile. "Very well. I'm Nymphadora Tonks, but you can call me Tonks but NEVER, I repeat, NEVER, call me Nymphadora alright? You're my cousin because aunt Narcissa and my mum are sort of distance cousins. I think you understand," the pink-haired girl said in a single breath, her hand extended towards her cousin.

"I'm Draco," the boy said with a smile, shaking Tonks' hand firmly. "I know, and it's nice to meet you, dear cousin," Tonks answered cheerfully. "Would you like some?" she offered the bag of croissants to Draco and Hermione. "I just brought this at the muggle bakery near the Leaky Cauldron, and I must say they do a superb work in baking these yummy pastries!"

The two of them of them practically gobbled every croissant in sight, and when their plates were wiped clean, both were patting their stomachs contentedly.

"I love croissants," Draco said with relish, and Tonks laughed. "Alright, I'll buy you some more when I get back from work," she promised, and Draco thanked her.

"Work? What kind of work do you do?" he asked inquisitively. "I'm a full time auror now," Tonks said proudly. "Moody's always telling me I don't take my job seriously, but do I look like someone who would just make fun of her own job?" as she said this, a few drops of orange juice dribbled down the front of her bright green shirt and a few strands of her now shoulder-length pink hair fell on her eyes.

Draco smiled. He was beginning to like his cousin.

"What about Harry? Is he still here?" asked Hermione. "He just left," Tonks answered, standing up. "I have to go now, duty starts in an hour. See you later!" giving them a big wave and a sweet smile, Tonks took off, whistling a Weird Sisters tune under her breath as she left the room.

Just as Hermione and Draco were about to stand up, Molly dried the last of the dishes and turned to face them. "Hermione, dear, Severus wanted me to tell you that there would be a meeting of the professors in Hogwarts at one o'clock today," The rotund woman said as she took off her apron.

Hermione glanced over at Draco worriedly. Where would she leave him while she's at the meeting? Molly was busy with the household chores. Ron was out. Harry was at work. She would have to go through hell first before she'd let Fred and George handle Draco (If ever they were there). Ginny…

"Alright, thanks, Mrs. Weasley!" Hermione said, grabbing Draco's hand and dragging him upstairs, then rummaging through each room for her redheaded friend. She found her in Harry's room, sitting near the windowsill, her eyes trained outside unblinkingly.

"Ginny?" Hermione called out gently, and Ginny's head swiveled to her direction in surprise. The redhead hastily dashed the wetness from her eyes, but it was already too late. "What happened, Ginny?" Hermione asked, rushing over to her friend. Draco stood right behind her.

Ginny shook her head violently, feigning a smile. "N---nothing's wrong," she stammered out, her voice coming out quivery and tearful. Hermione sighed, and gazed into Ginny's troubled brown eyes. "Ginny, you can tell me anything, you know that," Hermione said soothingly, and Ginny bit her lip, glancing over Hermione's shoulder. That's when Hermione remembered that Draco was just behind her.

"You won't have to worry about Draco hearing anything," Hermione promised. "He can be trusted, right, Draco?" she glanced briefly over at Draco, whose blonde head bobbed up and down in agreement.

"I promise I won't blab," Draco said, raising his right hand as a sign of his vow. Ginny stared at him for a moment, then at Hermione, who just gave her a sheepish smile. "Okay…" she finally answered.

Taking a deep breath, Ginny started. "It's… it's about Harry," Hermione gave her look that told her to go on. "Hermione, he's… he won't talk to me…" as Ginny said this, a lone tear rolled down her cheek, and she gave a hollow laugh. "I'm so pathetic, aren't I? Just because he won't speak to me this morning, I'm already crying like a baby,"

Hermione patted Ginny's arm consolingly. "Do you have any idea why he won't speak to you?" she asked, and Ginny shook her head. "After I sort of defended Malfoy last night, he wouldn't speak to me any longer… I tried talking to him before he set off to work, but he just glared at me then left," the redhead said.

"Maybe he was just in a bad mood," Hermione predicted wisely, but Ginny was still looking doubtful. "Maybe he's tired of me always hanging around him…" Ginny whispered, her eyes shutting close. "God, I wish I wasn't so annoying--- he's probably too irritated with my loud mouth, or maybe he's starting to realize that I still have feelings for him!"

The redhead stood up, her hands covering her face. "That's it! He knows I still fancy him! Oh God…" muttering a string of curses under her breath, Ginny sat back, her hands going up to her hair, which she tugged at helplessly.

Hermione sighed, and pried Ginny's hands away from her poor hair. "Ginny, I'm telling you, he's just in a bad mood," she said firmly, and Ginny looked at her with confused eyes. "But Hermione…"

"Stop thinking about it," Hermione told her in a stern voice. "I'll ask Harry about it later, so stop fretting,"

Ginny cheered up considerably. "Just ask him, okay? But don't tell him I told you, just tell him you noticed," the redhead said hopefully, and Hermione nodded. "Anyway, Ginny, I have a favor to ask of you…"

Ginny glanced at her with raised brows. "Yes? What is it?" she asked.

"Well… there's a meeting of the Hogwarts professors this afternoon, and I need someone to watch over Draco…" Hermione began, and Ginny stared at her open-mouthed. "You want me to baby-sit him?" she asked in disbelief, just as Draco yelled in a deeply offended voice, "Hey, I don't need anyone watching over me! I'm a big kid now!"

"No, what I meant was… well, Draco needs company while I'm away, and I want you to be with him, Ginny," Hermione pleaded to the redhead, who looked ready to jump at the window at the idea of spending the afternoon with Draco. "Please Ginny?"

Ginny was silent for five minutes. Finally, heaving a sigh, she said, "Alright, I'll keep him company while you're away," and Hermione beamed at her.

Draco was glaring at Hermione. "I don't need company, thank you very much," he huffed out, his arms crossed stubbornly on his chest. "I can do quite well on my own,"

Hermione shook her head at him. "No, Draco, Ginny will keep an eye on you, alright? Be good while I'm gone,"

"But Hermione…" Draco started.

The blonde-haired boy went rigid when Hermione gave a squeal and pulled him to her, engulfing him in a big hug. "You said my name!" Hermione said happily. "You said it completely!"

Draco quickly relaxed in her arms and gave her an affectionate squeeze. "I did, didn't I?" he said proudly, and Hermione nodded. "Hermione," he repeated, making Hermione smile with pleasure.

"Yes," she replied softly. "Hermione…"

Ginny was gawking at the scene before her. Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, hugging each other? She had to blink several times to assure herself that she wasn't in any sort of trance.

And now that she's taken a closer look at him, he didn't seem to be so bad. In fact, he sounded kind of sweet when he called Hermione by her first name.

"… but she doesn't like me," Ginny heard Draco say to Hermione in a worried tone as he gave her a side glance. "Of course I like you," Ginny said quickly. "So you're spending your afternoon with me, like it or not,"

Draco shot Hermione a pleading look. "Can't I go with you, Hermione?" he asked.

"No," Hermione said firmly, and Draco gave a sad sigh. "Promise you'll come back as fast as you can?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Be nice to Ginny okay? Have a nice afternoon, then." With that, Hermione glanced at her wrist watch, which read 12:03. "I'm going," she said, giving Draco and Ginny a small wave, then turning around to leave the room.

She was stopped, however, when Draco yanked her by the arm. He whirled her about to face him, and when she did, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Have a safe trip," he told her softly, and Hermione, cheeks flustered and eyes somewhat dazed, nodded.

Ginny almost gasped when she saw Draco kiss Hermione on the cheek. What was happening to them?

When Hermione left, Draco sighed, then turned to stare out the window, a mix of sadness and wistfulness crossing his features.

"So, what would you like to do?" Ginny asked Draco, whose eyes were still trained on the window. He glanced at her with a grim smile. "I know you're sad too, Ginny. We can just mope the whole afternoon, which is fine with me,"

"You're sad because Hermione left?" Ginny asked incredulously, and Draco nodded.

Ginny surveyed Draco with shrewd brown eyes, looking for any sign of insincerity, but found none. "You fancy Hermione, don't you?" she demanded, pointing an accusing finger at him.

A faint flush crept up Draco's pale cheeks. "No, I…" he started, making Ginny grin like a Cheshire cat. "Aha! So you do fancy her!" she said triumphantly, and Draco opened and closed his mouth, no words coming out from his mouth.

"I—I can't fancy her," Draco stammered. "I just m—met her…"

"But that doesn't mean you can't fancy her," Ginny countered with a mischievous grin.

"I—I just think she—she's nice, and sweet, and caring…"

"And that means you fancy her!"

Draco was scowling now. "No I don't. What about you? Do you fancy Harry because he's nice, sweet and caring?"

It was Ginny's turn to blush. "Yes," she answered truthfully.

"If he's nice, sweet and caring, then why won't he talk to you? Why did he make you cry?" Draco asked, a single blonde brow raised questioningly.

"He was in a bad mood," Ginny answered defensively.

"Hermione would never be in a bad mood with me," Draco said in such a sure voice that Ginny couldn't help but smile.

"I don't think she would, unless she sees you being mean to any house elf," she said, managing to keep a straight face. Draco looked interested at what she said. "I remember last night… she got mad because I mentioned something about the house elves…"

Ginny nodded in understanding. "Hermione really is quite sensitive when it comes to the house elves," she said. "And that's what makes her heart more pure, in my opinion. She really cares a great deal about everyone, up to an extent that sometimes she can't do the same to herself anymore,"

"I'll take care of her." Draco vowed in a soft voice, and Ginny's liking for him increased even more. "Do you know that Hermione's parents are dead now?" she asked, and Draco shook his head, looking surprised.

"They were murdered by Voldemort, and at the age of seventeen Hermione had to fend for herself. She's had quite a hard time the past year, but I must say we've all tried to help her heal her wounds… but Hermione isn't strong enough yet. She may always be smiling and laughing, but we know, almost nightly she cries herself to sleep. She thinks herself responsible for her parents' death, because she was really Voldemort's target,"

A look of deep sympathy crossed Draco's features. "I never knew…" he whispered.

"I'm telling you this because I want you to help heal Hermione's wounds," Ginny said softly. "I have the feeling you'd be able to help her,"

Draco gave Ginny a small smile. "I swear I'll take care of her," he said, and Ginny nodded.

"You know what, Draco? You may be an arrogant git sometimes, but I have to admit I'm beginning to like you."

Draco smiled. "That makes two of us then."

xxxxxx

Luna Lovegood tapped her foot impatiently on the bricked floor, twirling a stray strand of blonde hair around her finger. She surveyed the crowded street of Diagon Alley, but still there was no sign of the tall, freckled redhead who promised to fetch her.

"Ronald Weasley, you are so dead…"

xxxxxx

Run…

She ran as fast as her bare feet could carry her, no longer feeling the sharp and painful edges of the rocks she stepped on, nor the biting wind that whipped at her almost unclothed body.

She didn't stop running until she was sure she was beyond his reach, his wrath…

After what seemed like hours, her body could no longer take the exhaustion, and the ache from her bruises and wounds were burning her to oblivion. She couldn't take it anymore.

Dropping on her knees, she fell forward into a pitch of blackness.

xxxxxx

A/n: Longest chappie I've ever made! I hope you liked this one…

Thanks to: moonlightwitch (I like your username lol), Danish Pastry 28, prin69, Demonstar, kaichai, CareBearErin, God'sGirl88, palindrom, jiberish, Shadowy Corner (thanks for all the helpful comments!), mrs. skywalker, Lady Knight 1512, curlyqntx, Asaake, mysteriouscharm, Giver-Of-Hope, The Maniac Sisters, kazemar-kaemi, Weaselbee, IcEPriNceSS, samanthaaa, perfectlyfakereality, Incarnation, Sparkle85, Boonzie, Kelso the Great, southernsweetdevil, xoKaSsIeox, HRInuyashaFan16, Anigen, PadfootObssesed329, Fan-Of-HP, JammyD, Sadistic-Nightmares, Akalei, TNLSG, amrawo (my very first reviewer!)


	8. Unexpected Revelations

Bittersweet

by cenagurl

Warning: -SPOILER ALERT- If you haven't read HBP yet, then skip the disclaimer and head on for the beginning of the chapter…

Disclaimer: Sorry for not updating soon… still licking my wounds from the strong impact of HBP I guess… -sigh- But damn, Draco's canon soul is redeemed! I lurve the way JK justified his character… and he's really thinking about switching to the good side! But damn, why does Pansy have to have him? –gags- Anyway, enough rambling… I still don't own Harry Potter.

Note: I won't change my plot even if book six was already released. Lucius would still be abusive and well out of Azkaban, Voldemort still on the loose, Snape still siding with the Order, Dumbledore's still alive, Ginny and Harry are not yet officially together… there would be a few facts taken from HBP though… so just hang tight and please continue reading!

xxxxxx

Chapter 8:

Scribble, scribble, scribble…

Scratch.

Harry resisted the urge to throw his writing quill on the wall. _Damn, is this what being a junior auror's like?_ He mentally asked himself. As far as he knew, they were supposed to fight the dark forces of evil and exciting stuff like that, and definitely not just sitting around in a bloody small office writing some stupid papers about some illegal cursed teapot sellers!

Sighing, he dropped the quill on the table and leaned back on his chair. My, hasn't it been hours since he came here? He wanted to go home. No, he wanted to go outside to have a breath of fresh air… he wanted to ride his broom and at least forget his worries for a while.

Voldemort getting more and more stronger, many muggle killings, Malfoy being in Grimmauld Place… Harry was unable to stop the foul curse that came out from his mouth. Damn that Malfoy!

Harry felt a surge of anger as he recalled how Ginny had defended the git last night. To hell with the ferret-face for interfering with their lives! First he got Hermione, then Ginny… no, he wouldn't let him get Ginny. He would honestly consider murdering him if he laid a finger on her.

Yes, he knew his thoughts were filled with jealousy, but he didn't care. He didn't want Ginny with anyone else.

"I'm just being protective because she's like a little sister to me…" he whispered to himself. "Yeah, that's right, that's the only reason why I'm so damn riled…"

xxxxxx

Dudley Dursley walked down the dark street leading to the abandoned house he and his mates hang out at, his jowls and layers of belly jiggling with every step he took. He whistled a rather bad version of a Three Days Grace song under his breath while he counted the crisp pound money his aunt Marge had so generously given his Diddle-duddikins.

He and his friends were going to have a very fun night. He thought of the cigars and liquors he could buy the money with, and of course, the rest can go to their pot session…

"Waaah!" Dudley screamed as he tripped on something, and with a loud thump he landed on the grassy ground, a loud groan escaping his mouth. "What the hell is---" he staggered to sit up, and when he did, he saw an unconscious woman lying on the ground near him, nearly unclothed and with countless wounds and bruises on her body. Her lank blonde hair covered her face.

"Holy shit!" he shouted, his fat face etched with horror. "Help, there's a dead woman here, help!"

The door of the abandoned house flew open, revealing his friends' faces. "What's wrong Dude?" one of them asked, rushing over to Dudley, who was quickly backing from the woman, his face chalk-white.

"T—There's a dead woman!" he pointed at the woman, and his mates let out identical screams of fear and shock.

"What are we going to do?" Pierre Polkiss asked squeakily, looking so ready to pee on his pants.

"What else, RUN!"

Everyone save Dudley began to run, who seemed to have sprained his ankle. "Hey, don't leave me!" he yelled, but no one looked back. Completely panicked, he dug in his pockets for his phone, and with shaking fingers he dialed their home number.

"Dursley residence," came Petunia's falsely polite voice. "Mum! Help me!" Dudley yelled at the receiver of the phone, and his mother gave a startled gasp. "Duddikins, is that you? What happened? Where are you?" Petunia asked shrilly.

"N—near Magnolia Crescent, at the abandoned house—please mum hurry up, please--!"

"I'll be there right away! Wait for me Duddikins!"

Toot…

His mother had hung up.

Dudley's eyes accidentally strayed over to the woman, and he quickly squeezed his eyes close at the sight. About three minutes later he heard his mum's panicked voice several feet away from him.

"Duddikins!" Petunia screamed, running towards her son with tears in her eyes. "What happened to you?" she asked, helping him up. Dudley winced as he put his weight on his right foot. It was surely sprained.

"Mum, look, there's a woman over there!" he said, waving an arm towards the unconscious woman lying on the ground. Aunt Petunia gave a loud sob. "What happened to her?" she asked, but Dudley only shrugged. "Is she dead, mum?" he questioned, peering over at the woman with scared piggy eyes.

Petunia slowly walked over to the woman, her body trembling violently. With her foot she gave the woman's side a little kick. The woman groaned aloud, making Petunia scamper back to her son. "Dudley, let's go," she said, pulling at her son's arm.

"But mum, she's alive!" Dudley said loudly. "I don't care, we're going," Petunia answered hastily, but Dudley didn't move. "We should call the police, mum," he said. "Maybe they'd give us a reward if we surrender her,"

"I don't care about any rewards!" Petunia yelled, attempting to tug at him again. "Well I do, so if you don't want to help me, then you may go home now, mum," Dudley said, bringing out his phone.

Petunia's eyes widened, and she gave an outraged gasp. "How dare you speak to your mother like that—how dare you--"

"Mum, I'm eighteen!" Dudley bellowed. "I can make my own decisions now, and I'm wanting to surrender this woman to the police so they can give me a reward!"

"I'll give you a hundred pounds if you'd go home with me now," Petunia said quickly, but Dudley looked doubtful. "I wouldn't settle for anything less than two hundred," her son said stubbornly.

"Fine, call the police if you want," Petunia said in a defeated voice. Dudley, grinning, dialed the police station's number.

Little did they know that the woman had now gained her consciousness, and was slowly creeping away from them…

xxxxxx

"You're late."

Ron fidgeted under Luna's penetrating stare. Luna checked her watch, then gave him an icy glare. "Three hours to be exact," she said, stomping her left foot on the bricked floor. The redhead gave her an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry, I didn't realize---"

"You don't have to explain," Luna cut in sharply. "No matter what lame excuse you've got, Ronald, I wouldn't want to listen to any of it,"

"Luna---"

"I told you, I'm not listening to your excu--"

"I think you look nice today," Ron said, making Luna halt and stare owlishly at him. "Really? Why thank you," she said casually, although her cheeks were flushed a rosy shade of pink.

Ron sighed with relief. He finally got Luna silent. But the compliment was also a sincere one, he had to admit. Luna's looks did improve since they last saw each other, which was during graduation.

He was honestly happy that she had finally decided to drop the butterbeer caps necklace and radish earrings, as well as the dreamy look on her blue eyes.

"So Luna, how long are you going to stay at the headquarters?" he asked nonchalantly. Luna gave him a sly smile. "I guess it would depend…" she started, boring those bright blue eyes at him.

"Depend on what?" Ron couldn't help but ask.

"…"

Ron continued to look at her expectantly. "Depend on what?" he repeated, positively growling with irritation when Luna just continued smiling secretively at him.

"Oh, you're being a prat again, Ronald. It just depends on something, alright? Come now, I'm starving! Let's grab a bite at the Leaky Cauldron before going back to the headquarters. You wouldn't want me howling with hunger like Sirius's mother now, would you?"

xxxxxx

"I'm bored." Draco declared for what seemed like the hundredth time that afternoon as he pressed his nose against the cool windowpane of Harry's bedroom, his gray eyes sweeping over the empty street outside.

Ginny sighed then plopped down next to Draco. "Yeah, Exploding Snap's getting definitely too… common for me," she said.

Draco didn't change his position when he answered her. "It's quite a lousy game, in my opinion," he admitted. "Damn, where the bloody hell is Hermione?"

"Maybe she's still at the conference…" Ginny suggested, glancing at the clock on the wall. "But what's taking her so long? It's almost seven,"

Draco finally turned to face Ginny, a naughty smile on his face. "What about your dear Harry? Why isn't he here yet? isn't he missing his darling sweet little Ginny?"

Ginny's face rivaled the color of her hair. "Shut it, you annoying little ferret," she muttered. A confused look crossed Draco's face. "Ferret?" he echoed. "Couldn't you do better than that, ickle Ginny?"

The redhead glowered at him with utter annoyance. "If you had your memory right now, I'm sure you'd be spitting mad," she said, and he merely cocked an eyebrow.

"I don't think so, Ginny because I'm much more sensible than that to get angry with those petty things, and besides, aren't redheads the ones with the shortest fuses?" he said smoothly, and Ginny, like a wildcat, lunged at him, her small hands closing on his neck as the two of them came crashing on the ground.

"Take that back, you idiot!" she yelled, but Malfoy just laughed as she tried in vain to choke him.

"Ha-ha, Ginny's spitting mad, Ginny's---" the two of them stopped dead on their tracks when the bedroom door swung open, revealing a stunned-looking Harry, his mouth hanging open and his green eyes huge.

Ginny hastily moved away from Draco, her face flushed. The blonde boy sat up, rubbing his bruised neck with his fingers.

"Harry---"

Before Ginny could say another word, the door slammed loudly on her face, the pictures on the wall rattling, and Sirius's mother screaming like a banshee again from downstairs.

Draco stood up, then walked over to Ginny, whose eyes were sparkling with tears.

"Ginny?" he called out timidly. Giving a loud wail, Ginny rushed past him and went out of the bedroom, leaving a bewildered Draco in her wake.

"What did I do?"

xxxxxx

Hermione wasn't happy with the arrangements of their formation in coming back to the headquarters. She had been most unfortunately paired with Snape, and right now they were slowly walking with a sea of muggle strangers, all who were oblivious to their weird outfits--- Snape was wearing his usual billowing black robes, while Hermione had on her favorite red robes over her muggle clothes.

They had not spoken to each other for the whole trip unless it was really very necessary, which Hermione had found gratifying because she had absolutely no desire to speak to her former potions master at all.

Finally, after what seemed like eternity, they reached their destination, and as they entered the threshold, Snape left her without a word.

Relieved that she was finally rid of his presence, she proceeded up the stairs to check on Draco and Ginny.

Just as she was walking by Harry's bedroom, a lithe figure came speeding towards her, causing the two of them to topple like a pretzel on the floor.

"Wha--- Ginny?" Hermione asked when she caught sight of red hair. The girl literally threw herself against Hermione and sobbed on her shoulder, incoherent words coming out of her mouth.

"What happened?" Hermione asked quickly. Ginny didn't answer, just gave another round of bawling that nearly made Hermione deaf.

The door of Harry's bedroom opened and Draco came out, a guilty look on his face when he saw Ginny crying on Hermione's shoulder.

"What did you do, Draco?" she asked sternly. Draco gulped, then began to back away when he saw a dangerous glint in Hermione eyes.

"I—I—I didn't…"

"What's going on here?" asked a misty voice from the stairs.

Hermione shifted her gaze from Draco, and gasped when she saw Luna standing near the stairs, Ron right behind her.

"Luna!"

Ginny's head snapped up, her eyes still bloodshot. However, a huge smile crept upon her face when she saw Luna, and she quickly disengaged herself from Hermione.

"Luna!"

Luna didn't seem to hear them though; she was staring in horror at the blonde boy standing near the door, her face chalk white.

"Y—You're the one that crippled Minerva!"

xxxxxx

A/n: hope you like this. –fingers crossed- I know it's kind of crappy, but as I said, I'm still not over HBP… damn! I swear to make up for this in the next chapter.

And here are some answers to some of your comments…

Shadowy Corner: Yeah, I know the conversation between Harry and Hermione was kinda lame, but I'm not changing it, 'cause I'm a lazy dog and I'm already contented with it. ) And about the mum of Tonks and Narcissa… were they really sisters? So she's also a sister of Bella? I really have to get my facts straight… thanks! Oh, and about the Harry-Ginny thingy… I love them too! That's why I was experiencing a huge dose of euphoria when I read book six…

And for the people who find my chapters now too long… damn! I'm getting confused with whom to follow! Many were complaining before that they were too short, but now, too long? –sigh- I'm sorry, but I won't cut my chapters short because I'll be updating much less often now because the first quarter exams are nearing, as well as the entrance tests to the Universities I have applied in. So I'm telling you now guys, my next update might be on the second week of August… so just hang on tight!


	9. Hidden Truths

Bittersweet

By cenagurl

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way…

A/n: Yep, I'm back… Sorry if I've been gone too long… guess what? I so totally flunked my algebra class! -curses algebra professor- so now I've got a tutor. And I'm taking a remedial. Hell.

Anyway… Hope you'll still keep on reading and reviewing! Please, please please review… cenagurl is hungry for reviews… )

Anyway, here's…

xxxxxx

Chapter 9:

Crash.

Hermione couldn't help but flinch at the loud bellow of the thunder outside. She didn't keep her eyes away from Draco, however. The boy was staring open-mouthed at Luna, who was pointing an accusing finger at him.

The silence in the hall was deafening. No one spoke, nor moved a muscle. The scene looked like a tragic tableau; Hermione thought they all looked like actors on a stage.

Finally, when she found the strength to speak, she turned slowly to Luna and said, "He was not the one who crippled Professor McGonagall,"

"Yeah," Ginny suddenly piped up. "It was his fa---"

Hermione quickly shot Ginny a warning look, and she fell silent.

"Luna?" came a voice from behind Luna and Ron. The two swiveled about, and Hermione caught sight of messy black hair--- Harry.

"Harry!" Luna seemed to momentarily forget about her previous dilemma, as a big smile crept up her face, and she practically flew down the stairs to meet her friend. Hermione caught Ginny glaring when Luna hugged Harry.

"Great to see you, Luna," Harry said good-naturedly, ruffling Luna's blonde head as though she was a child.

Hermione heaved a sigh as she felt the tension ebb from the room, all thanks to Harry. "Supper's ready!" came Mrs. Weasley's voice from the kitchen, and Ron quickly bounded down the stairs, followed by Ginny, whose face was looking dour.

"I hope Mrs. Weasley's cooked her legendary roast chicken--- I'm starving," Luna said dreamily, as Harry led her downstairs while Hermione and Draco were left there, both unmoving and silent.

"Draco, let's eat now," she said after a few moments.

"I'm not hungry." Draco replied quietly. "I want to go to sleep,"

"Are you sure you're not hungry?" Hermione urged, and the blonde boy gave a small nod. "You go ahead and eat, I'll just… rest." He answered, and Hermione reluctantly went downstairs to eat.

When she disappeared into the kitchen, Draco silently walked downstairs towards the entrance hall, careful that nobody sees him.

They told him he was Draco Malfoy.

Was it true?

He could feel they were hiding something from him.

He couldn't remember anything.

Why couldn't he remember?

Who was he?

Was he a murderer like the girl said?

He slowly turned the knob of the door and went outside.

xxxxxx

"So that's the reason why he's here," Luna said after Hermione and the others had rehashed the tale about how Draco Malfoy had ended up in Grimmauld Place after dinner. They all remained seated around the dining table as Mrs. Weasley whisked the dishes away. "Now I feel pity for him, and his mum as well,"

Hermione nodded her agreement. "Lucius is a cruel man, even to his own wife and child,"

"I wonder how Draco's mum is faring at the manor. Is Lucius beating her or something?" Ginny mused, giving a small victorious smile when a muscle twitched on Harry's jaw. He didn't comment on her statement though; but Ron obviously wouldn't let it pass by.

"You and Malfoy are on first name basis now aren't you?" he asked heatedly. "You're acting just like Hermione, you're--- you're fraternizing with the enemy!"

Ginny gave a dainty shrug. "Well, we sort of became close this afternoon after Hermione left him in my care," she inwardly smiled with satisfaction when she saw a muscle twitch on Harry's cheek. "And he isn't so bad once you get to know him… he's kind of adorable, actually,"

That was the final straw for Harry; he rose from his seat, his emerald eyes blazing with anger. "I'm going to bed." He said curtly, slamming down his goblet of water that drops of it splattered everywhere.

Hermione shot Ginny a look that basically said, "Go and fix whatever mess you did." Rolling her eyes, Ginny stood up and left the room with a swish of her long red hair.

"Oh honestly, I think those two really need to 'fess up, big time," Hermione commented. "I quite agree, the look on Harry's face when Ginny told us about her sudden closeness to Draco was a total give away," Luna responded.

Ron gaped at them. "Are you implying that—" he made wild gestures towards Harry and Ginny's empty chairs. "—they—my sister—Harry—?"

The two women sitting across him gave solemn nods, and Ron's face blanched.

"No way," he managed to whisper hoarsely after a few moments.

"Yes way," Luna answered with a wry smile. "You best accept that your little sister is very well mature enough to fall in love with someone, and Harry, your best friend, quite reciprocates her feelings with the same intensity, Ronald."

"Very well said, Luna," Hermione said. "Honestly Ron, you are just as daft as a duck. You were even too blind to notice I—" she stopped suddenly, her face red.

"Yes?" Ron said a tad too excitedly, but Hermione had already risen, cheeks flushed. "I'm going to check on Draco," she said, then sprinted out of the room as though the devil was chasing her.

Ron was gawking at the door, bewildered.

Luna shook her head. "You really are daft, Ronald."

xxxxxx

Hermione quietly slipped inside her room, afraid to wake Draco if ever he was asleep. As she entered, however, she saw that the room was empty. She felt a surge of panic inside her as she searched through the other rooms, and still found no sign of him.

"He isn't anywhere!" Hermione cried half an hour later, tears sparkling at the corners of her eyes as she, Ginny, Luna, Ron (and a very disgruntled Harry) rummaged through the house for Draco.

"Don't worry Hermione, we'll find him," Ginny assured her friend with a squeeze in the hand.

"But he isn't anywhere in the house!" Hermione wailed, seriously panicking now. "D'you guys reckon he went out?"

"The bloody bastard went out to tell the Death Eaters what he found out!" Ron exploded.

"He lost his memory, Ron, if you must remember," Ginny said calmly. Ron immediately quieted and awkwardly patted the sobbing Hermione on the arm as he muttered, "Oh yeah...".

"If he went out, we'll have to find him before he gets lost I suppose?" Luna piped in. Hermione straightened up and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Yes, we will find him," she said, heading for the front door. The others trailed behind her, each wearing different expressions on their faces.

Harry looked grouchy; Ron was caught in the middle of looking sympathetic for Hermione and looking angry for the brainless ex-Slytherin who ran away, thus making him look rather constipated; Luna was looking serene, as usual, and Ginny was looking sincerely anxious but not as much as Hermione looked.

"Keep your wands out in case someone attacks," Harry murmured to everyone, who did as he ordered, save for Ginny, who had her arms crossed over her chest challengingly.

"Ginny, I said put your wand out," Harry growled, but still the redhead did not move.

"The Death Eaters can attack me anytime they want, nobody would give a damn," she said viciously, walking away from him. Harry jogged after her, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

"Ginny…"

Ginny stopped at the intensity of his voice. "Harry, I assure you, you would not feel guilty if ever I drop dead at your feet right now. You have no responsibility over me, so I can do as I please,"

"Ginny I…"

"Draco!" Hermione's joyful scream echoed around the empty street. She ran to the boy standing near the alleyway, who had turned around at the sound of his name.

"Hermione," he whispered.

The brunette threw her arms around him and gripped him tightly, her tears soaking his shirt. "Why did you go out? You nearly killed me with worry, Draco!"

"Hermione… I… I'm sorry," he said, his hand going down to brush some locks of hair from Hermione's tear-streaked face. "I just wanted to… I wanted to think alone for a while… I know you're keeping many things from me…"

"You're better off not knowing them Draco… at least, not now. I promise to tell you everything when you're ready okay?"

The boy nodded slowly, and Hermione slowly let go of him.

"We should head back to Grimmauld Place now, I can sense danger," Harry said, and the group quickly dashed back to the safety of their headquarters.

They did not see an obscured figure watching them from a distance, its eyes glittering madly in the dark.

xxxxxx

A/n: Sucks? Sorry. Cenagurl is suffering brain drain. Anyway, to the redhead reviewer I had offended in my previous chapter... My sincerest apology! DX I didn't mean to offend you or anything...I happen tolove redheads, and were I not born Asian, I would've given anything to have red hair, green eyes and freckles on my nose.c;


	10. Resurfacing of Memories

Bittersweet

By cenagurl

A/n: So after disappearing for more than a year and not updating my fics, here I am again. I'm very sorry to have kept you guys waiting, but here's the continuation of the fic that garnered the most number of reviews in my list of written stories. :) hope you guys would still read it, and enjoy it as well despite its oldness, lack of grammatical proficiency and inconsistency in information. I do not own Harry Potter nor any of its characters, by the way.

xxxxxx

Chapter 10: Resurfacing of Memories

Narcissa Black Malfoy was dreaming.

Her first vision was when her son was about nine years old and had come running to her one afternoon bearing fresh lash marks on his back. She had quickly asked him what had happened, and little Draco mumbled something incoherent about accidentally overhearing a meeting between his father and an acquaintance which caused his unleashed wrath, surprising her that there was no hint of tears from him.

Everything blurred then, and the next thing she saw was the time when she was standing by the French bay window one stormy evening when Lucius decided to punish Draco for something unworthy of castigation by locking him inside an empty cage where the dangerous beasts were kept by the deserted courtyard.

She could hear her son screaming for help even through the angry howling of the rain and the daunting thunder. She didn't know whether to feel relieved or worried when she saw her husband's figure starting towards the direction where Draco was confined in, wearing a hooded cloak.

She could only cry in alarm when Lucius pulled out his wand and suddenly her son was twisting in an odd position, indicating that he was being put under a Cruciatus Curse.

"Never show cowardice in front of me, Draco!" his father's shout had echoed around the entire place, but Narcissa doubted her young son could understand what he meant.

The memory then dissolved to a hazy blur, followed by another one. This time her son wasn't involved, only she and her husband as they faced each other in the cold spacious foyer.

"I married you because I thought you had more backbone," Lucius said maliciously. "But you are a coward, just like your cousin Regulus. You aren't worthy to serve the Dark Lord, and even your son is just as useless,"

"I would do anything you say, Lucius, just don't endanger the life of our son—"

Narcissa was kneeling in front him now, her tears soaking the front of his robes. She could feel Lucius' disgusted stare at her.

"I will do as I please with Draco, and you will not meddle," he hissed, kicking her away from him. Narcissa flew a few feet away, her lip bleeding. "You will not meddle, do you understand?"

Narcissa's eyes looked pleadingly at her husband, although deep inside she knew it was no use. "Lucius, he'll kill our son…"

Lucius' cold gray eyes stared down at her. "If that's the way the Dark Lord will succeed, then so be it," he said casually.

Her husband's face was slowly fading away, replaced by a stranger's, which looked so blurry she could not make out its features.

She blinked twice, and as her eyes opened, she saw a man peering down at her with curious brown eyes.

"I'm glad you're finally awake, ma'am," the man said with a smile. "I was afraid you'd never do,"

Narcissa hardly found the strength to speak. "W—where am I?" she croaked out, blinking again to clear away the cruel memories she found in her dreams.

"In the hospital," the man answered. "You were found unconscious by a teenager at the abandoned house near Magnolia Crescent,"

Narcissa tried to sit up, but the pain that wracked her whole body brought a sting of tears in her eyes. The man assisted her back to the bed with caution.

"Please don't move about yet, your injuries are quite… deep,"

Narcissa heaved a sigh as she closed her eyes. "Am I in the muggle world?" she asked, failing to see the baffled look on the doctor's face.

"Muggle? Ma'am, you should rest a bit more, your mind seems to… please rest now, ma'am,"

The man's words were lost on Narcissa however, as she had already fallen back asleep.

xxxxxx

"Wotcher, Draco,"

Draco turned at the voice, and smiled when he saw his cousin sauntering towards him with a brown paper bag in her hand.

"I brought you some croissants!" Tonks cheerfully announced as she plopped beside her cousin in the dining room. Draco quickly thanked her, then tore the bag open.

"They're still warm," he commented as he sniffed the appetizing smell. "Have you just gotten off from work?"

"Yeah," Tonks answered. "By the way, where's Hermione? It's so weird not seeing you two together,"

Draco shrugged as he took a bite out of his first piece of pastry. "She's upstairs, I reckon," he said through a mouthful of croissant. "I think she's still angry with me for going out of the house last week,"

Tonks gave her cousin a disproving look. "Well, she's got a good reason to get mad, you know," she replied. "You could have killed yourself doing such a stupid thing!"

"But why am I going to get myself killed? I'm really confused with what's happening here," he commented. "Who would want to kill me?"

"Maybe your father," Tonks blurted out before she could stop herself. Clamping a hand over her mouth, she murmured, "I did not mean to say that…"

But Draco's curiosity was definitely piqued. "My father? Why?"

Tonks shook her head, refusing to say more. Draco gave her a glare but still she did not budge.

"Alright, I guess I'll ask someone else then… how about that screaming portrait in the hallway?"

Draco was about to rise from his seat when Tonks grabbed his arm. "Alright, I'll tell you!" she huffed, and he grinned as he sat back down. "You're father is a death eater, remember? Of course you don't remember. Well anyway, from what Hermione told us, he wanted you to be a follower of You-Know-Who too, but your mother smuggled you out of your mansion and handed you under the protection of the Order,"

"Now your dad's in a snit and he wants you back," Tonks finished with a hearty sigh. "Now do you understand?"

She glanced over at her cousin but saw that he was contemplating what she just revealed.

"But what about my mother? Is she safe from my father?" his sudden question surprised the female auror. She could hear the sincere anxiousness in her cousin's voice.

"To be honest with you, I really have no idea, Draco,"

He stood up so quickly that the bag of croissants on his lap fell on the floor.

"I have to help my mother escape—"

"Draco, you can't just go anywhere!" Tonks shrieked. "Look, I can tell the other members of the Order to search for your mother and see her condition, but please don't try to leave the headquarters,"

Draco lost some of the sorry from his face. "Please do that," he whispered. "I may still not recall anything significant, but when you mentioned my mother, a sudden feeling of panic surged through me,"

"It's alright," Tonks said, giving his shoulder a comforting squeeze. "I'll make sure your mother's doing fine,"

xxxxxx

Hermione was fast asleep on the couch when Draco entered their room. He quickly strode over to her and carried her to the bed. Just as he was securing the blankets around her, he stopped to take a close look at her slumbering form.

Her impossibly long lashes formed crescents against her milky cheeks, and her small rosebud lips were slightly opened, making her look far younger than her real age. Wild curly strands of hair had fallen from her loose ponytail and had framed her face nicely, so Draco did not move any tendril away.

"So beautiful…" he heard himself whisper, and he couldn't resist dropping a kiss on her forehead. "Rest well, Hermione,"

He wanted to turn away from her but simply couldn't. his eyes strayed once more to her lips, and some sort of magnetic force seemed to be pulling him closer and closer to her…

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING??"

Ron's bellow came from the doorway, and Draco jumped in surprise. "I—I was just—" he couldn't seem to get a believable excuse out, and he could feel his cheeks reddening.

Hermione had jerked awake at Ron's shouting, and she was giving him a confused look. "What're you shouting about, Ron?" she asked groggily.

"That—that git was trying to k—" before the redhead could reveal what he was about to do, Draco had rushed over to him and clamped a hand on his mouth.

Hermione looked as though she was restraining her amusement; gingerly she hopped from the bed and went over to the two, who were struggling against each other's grips.

"Stop it, you two," she said warningly, and the two quickly halted. Draco was lowering his hands when Ron started to holler again.

"Hermione, that git was trying to ki—"

Draco decided in flash that it would be better if he really did it than having him hear say what he was trying to do.

Before Ron could finish what he was saying, he grabbed Hermione by the shoulders and crushed his lips down to hers in a rough kiss. His lips quickly gentled though, but he could feel her still stiff beneath him.

He teasingly coaxed her with his tongue, and she quickly opened up for him, her arms going around his neck. He seemed to have totally forgotten that there was someone else in the room with them.

Not until he felt Ron's grip from the back of his shirt and the sudden punch on his face. He landed with a thud on the floor, tasting blood on his lips.

"You bastard!" Ron made a move to punch him again but Hermione, who was still looking quite shocked, grabbed his arm.

"Stop it, Ron!" she said breathlessly. "Please… just leave us alone for a while…"

Ron's face was fast becoming red again. "AND WHAT?? LET HIM TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU AGAIN??"

Hermione looked so angry with his remark that she could not speak. Muttering an angry curse, she hit Ron hard on the arm, walked over to Malfoy to give him a sound slap on the cheek, and stalked out of the room, leaving the two men gawking after her in astonishment.

"I'll get back to you, Malfoy," Ron vowed viciously before leaving. Draco did not seem to hear him, however. A flood of memories had suddenly swum in his head, although most of them still distorted…

"… _you foul… you evil…!"_

_Hermione had slapped him across the face, hard. He stared, terrified at the wand she pointed at his chest now… was she going to hex him to oblivion?_

His brows furrowed together at this. He had been slapped by Hermione before? Why? He closed his eyes and tried to recall more, but nothing came.

His thoughts were disturbed by the sudden pounding of hid head. He slowly stood up and dropped down on the bed as he burrowed his face deep into the pillows as if that could ease the pain.

"_Nobody asked for your opinion, you filthy little mudblood."_

_Tears had quickly sprung in her mahogany eyes at his harsh words. Before he could say anything else, she had turned and fled. _

He was mean to Hermione? Again, why?

"_At least no one had to buy their way in; they got in on pure talent,"_

_She had embarrassed him, and in front of his quidditch teammates no less._

The pounding in his head increased threefold, and he gave a low moan.

"_You're joking, Weasley!" he had said behind them—Harry, Ron and Hermione. "You're not telling me someone's asked her to the ball? Not the long-molared mudblood?"_

The small scenarios going on in his head seemed to be the cause of his head ache. He tried with all his might to keep his mind blank, but it was no use.

"_Twitchy little ferret, aren't you, Malfoy?"_

FERRET? Wait a minute…

xxxxxx

"I have seen him, milord," a hoarse, squeaky voice said in the darkness. "He's with the Potter boy…"

"I see," another voice murmured. "It's time to act…"

xxxxxx

A/n: Too short for your satisfaction:( I'll try my best to compensate, I promise… please review!


	11. IMPORTANT NOTICE

**IMPORTANT NOTICE:**

A/n: Hey guys. Yeah, I know I've left this story hanging for so long. I'm really sorry. Anyway, I have a treat for you. I made a revamped version of this fic. It's called Bittersweet Memories. Enjoy. :)

PS: I have switched my username from cenagurl/astrogirl23 to iamhermionemalfoy so please don't get confused.


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